Housing and Urban Development Secretary Ben Carson on Wednesday suggested that President Donald Trump was talking about unemployment when he told four U.S. congresswomen of color to “go back” to their countries.
In an interview on Fox News, host Sandra Smith asked Carson what Trump meant when he attacked Democratic Reps. Ilhan Omar (MN), Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (NY), Ayanna Pressley (MA) and Rashida Tlaib (MI) on Twitter.
“Did you view the president’s tweets as racist?” Smith wondered.
“I have the advantage of knowing the president very well,” Carson replied. “And he’s not a racist. And his comments are not racist. But he loves the country very much and he has the feeling that those that represent the country should love it as well.”
Smith noted that three of the congresswomen were born in the U.S. and all four are U.S. citizens.
“The president suggested that they could go back to their countries,” Smith continued. “What did the president mean because he’s not taking back anything he said.”
“I think you can see what the president means by looking at his accomplishments,” Carson opined. “Under this president… you see low unemployment — record low for blacks, for Hispanics, for all the demographics of our nation.”
“I think we should pay a lot more attention to what [the president is] doing than what anybody is saying,” he added.
