Dr. Ben Carson tells
Newsmax TV that House Speaker John Boehner's attempts to get along with everybody on Capitol Hill did not serve the interests of conservative voters.
"I appreciate the fact that he has worked so hard for so many years. I know that he is a person who is kind and tries to get along with a lot of different factions," Carson said Friday to J.D. Hayworth on "Newsmax Prime."
"However, I believe that has not served the constituency well because a lot of people have been sent to Congress over the last few elections for the purpose of changing the direction and opposing the current administration.
"That's not necessarily a good place to have somebody who just wants to get along."
Story continues below video.
Watch Newsmax TV on
DirecTV Ch. 349, DISH Ch. 223 and
Verizon FiOS Ch. 115. Get Newsmax TV on your cable system —
Click Here Now
Boehner stunned Republicans and Democrats Friday morning by resigning from his position amid growing dissatisfaction of his leadership.
Carson, a retired pediatric neurosurgeon running for the GOP presidential nomination, said the next House Speaker must be more willing to do battle with White House on vital issues.
"We need very strong leadership that will oppose this president and his agenda and oppose it vigorously, Carson said.
Carson says he believes the United States should consider withdrawing from the United Nations.
"I certainly think that's a conversation that we should have. No question about it…. I want to hear all the pros and cons from both sides," he said.
"I want to look at the statistics in terms of what good have they done versus what bad have they done. How does that relate or correspond to our goals.
"One of the problems is that we go off half-cocked sometimes and we make emotional decisions without really sitting down and having the in depth conversation and looking at the data."
Carson sparked a furor earlier this week when he said he would not be in favor of having a Muslim as president. While he got plenty of heat for his declaration, a new Rasmussen Reports poll found 51 percent of Americans agree.
"I'm surprised it's only 51 percent. If people actually understood all the tenants of that faith and recognize that it does not believe in the separation of church and state, but instead advocates for a theocracy," Carson said.
"As I've said before, if a Christian was running for president of the United States but their agenda was to establish a theocracy, I would not advocate for them, either."
Carson said he is sticking by his original comments on the issue.
"I said I don't care where a person comes from, what their religious faith is, if they subscribe to American values and are willing to place our Constitution above their religious beliefs, I have no problem with them," he said.
"That is the case and that includes anybody. Everybody includes everybody. The follow up question was 'What about a Muslim?' So the context of that question was somebody who didn't do what I just described.
"Obviously, in that situation, I'm not going to advocate for that because I believe in America and I believe in our Constitution. Why would I support somebody who has a belief system that is inconsistent with that?"
Carson said that anyone of the Islamic faith willing to "accept the American way and accept our Constitution as supreme over the Quran, over Sharia over Hadith, over all of that, then I have no problem with them."
Asked about rap star Kanye West's description of Carson as "brilliant," the physician said:
"I appreciate his kind words as I would anyone's kind words. I hope that he and some of the other pop cult people will begin to start thinking about their influence can be used in a positive way to uplift the communities that are influenced by them.
"I find him to be a very intelligent individual who has a very good business head on him and yes I would be willing to talk to him."
© 2024 Newsmax. All rights reserved.