Former Gov. Mike Huckabee, R-Ark., praised President-elect Donald Trump's decision to choose retired neurosurgeon Ben Carson to head Housing and Urban Development.
Carson is a "brilliant man" and a "terrific choice," the Republican lawmaker told Fox News' "America's Newsroom" on Monday. "This is a guy who, before all the political people started piling on him, had been awarded by about every national and international organization in the world, including the NAACP, for his humanitarian efforts. I think he brings not only a personal story, but a level of intelligence to this."
HUD needs a "revolution," he continued, "to put focus back on home ownership and buying into it, much like the model of Habitat for Humanity."
Huckabee noted Carson was raised by a single mother and he "understands the value of housing and neighborhoods and how that affects a person growing up."
Show co-host Martha MacCallum said Carson's nomination is a credit to Trump because the retired neurosurgeon was "reluctant" about accepting a Cabinet position.
When Huckabee was asked how he thought Trump might have convinced Carson to take the position, Huckabee responded: "Donald Trump is a very convincing salesman. That's what he's done his whole life is close the deal.
"Maybe he was able to get him in a room and put him in a half-nelson or a headlock and say, 'Look, Ben, you've got to do it.'
"I don't know exactly what he did to convince him, but I'm glad he did."
Carson knows what it is like to grow up in a poor environment, and the retired neurosurgeon would be a "silencer" for critics who say the Trump administration would not focus on urban American issues, Huckabee said.
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