TRUMP PICKS EX-RIVAL BEN CARSON TO HEAD HOUSING AGENCY.

WASHINGTON • U.S. president-elect Donald Trump, moving to complete formation of his cabinet and decide other key posts, chose former campaign rival Ben Carson on Monday to be secretary of the Department of Housing and Urban Development.

Trump’s decision, announced by his transition office, comes as the real estate mogul continues a series of deliberations aimed at forming his administration.

In a statement, Trump said he was “thrilled to nominate” Carson, describing the retired neurosurgeon as having “a brilliant mind” and saying he “is passionate about strengthening communities and families within those communities.”

Carson had been coy about joining the new administration, saying shortly after Trump’s election win he wasn’t certain he’d fit into a cabinet-style role. The discussion at that time centred on speculation that Carson might be selected to head the sprawling Department of Health and Human Services.

“Ben shares my optimism about the future of our country,” Trump said, “and is part of ensuring that this is a presidency representing all Americans.”

House Democratic leader Nancy Pelosi said Carson had no credentials for the job and was a “disconcerting and disturbingly unqualified choice.” She said the country deserves someone with “relevant experience to protect the rights of homeowners and renters.”

Carson was among the 16 Republican candidates who challenged Trump for the Republican nomination. He was a favourite of religious conservatives and a strong fundraiser, but his team burned through money quickly and he failed to win early primary contests.

Trump treated Carson harshly during the primary, saying he had a “pathological temper.” Still, Carson endorsed Trump after he dropped out of the contest.

As a Trump supporter, Carson was both loyal and critical. He conceded Trump had “major defects” and said at one point that he would have preferred a scenario other than Trump winning the Republican primary.

Carson has often recounted his childhood as the son of a single mother in inner-city Detroit. In his 1996 autobiography Gifted Hands, Carson wrote of the humiliation he felt using food stamps from his mom to pay for bread and milk, and said how he began to excel at school only after receiving a free pair of glasses that allowed him to see the lessons written on chalk boards.

But his success on the campaign trail crumbled amid questions about whether parts of his autobiography were exaggerated or fabricated — including a purported childhood fit in which he tried to stab his best friend in the belly only to be foiled by a belt buckle. Carson’s business dealings also faced scrutiny, including his ties to a wealthy Pittsburgh dentist whom he helped avoid prison time for felony health-care fraud.