Ben Carson said an offer to become part of the Trump administration "is on the table," but he said Wednesday he is still weighing whether he could more "effective" inside or outside the government.
The retired neurosurgeon said "there are a lot of things that were put on the table, and I'm thinking about them," including the possibility of heading the Department of Housing and Urban Development, Carson told "The Kelly File."
"We did in fact have a discussion about things that needed to be done in this country, and what the various options were, whether I could do it from inside the government or outside the government," he said of his talk with President-elect Donald Trump.
"The offer is on the table, and there are a lot of other possibilities that we're considering . . . which is the way that I can be most effective," he added. "So that information should come out in the next few days."
Carson also suggested Mitt Romney – reportedly favored to be Trump's pick for Secretary of State – has likely apologized in private to Trump for the fierce criticism of him earlier in the campaign.
"He has said some pretty inflammatory things, and I think maybe . . . he has told Donald Trump, 'I take that back. I don't believe that any more. I really never believed it. It was in the heat of the moment,'" Carson said.
"He probably needs to say something more publicly," and would then "dissipate" the uneasiness about his selection Newt Gingrich and Mike Huckabee have voiced.
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