Trump says Carson not up on art of the deal
Rivals poll in first and second places in Iowa
Donald Trump stressed his business experience Sunday in drawing contrasts with his latest fast-rising challenger, retired neurosurgeon Ben Carson.
“I’m a deal maker, I’ll make great deals for this country,” Trump said on CBS’ Face The Na
tion. “Ben can’t do that. Ben’s a doctor, and he’s not a deal maker.”
Also appearing on CBS, Carson declined to engage Trump, instead trumpeting his experience in the medical and corporate worlds. Carson said he would be humble enough as president to bring together the finest minds in the country to address problems. “What we need to do is put our talents together,” Carson said on
Face The Nation.
Asked if Trump is “humble enough” to be president, Carson said, “That will be a decision that the voters will make.”
Trump and Carson appeared on CBS as the network’s Battleground Tracker polls show them in first and second places, respectively, in Iowa, New Hampshire and South Carolina, the states holding the first nominating contests of 2016. They are far ahead of other Republicans in the crowded race for the GOP nomination.
Trump, Carson and other “outsider” candidates, such as businesswoman Carly Fiorina, are stressing their credentials as nonpoliticians, and arguing that the political leaders have failed the voters. Carson’s rise in the polls earns him a spot next to Trump in Wednesday’s second Republican debate at the Ronald Reagan presidential library in Simi Valley, Calif.
Trump, who has led GOP polls for months, will again be in the center spot, just as he was for last month’s debate in Cleveland. Recognizing Carson’s rise, Trump said that the neurosurgeon lacks the “energy” to be president. “Ben Carson’s a very, very nice man, but this will not be a good situation because of the fact that he’s not a dealer. He’s not a negotiator, and the president has to be,” Trump said on CBS. In a separate appearance on ABC, Carson said Trump’s criticism “doesn’t bother me, because I recognize that I have plenty of energy.”
Carson, who last week apologized to Trump for questioning his faith, said he isn’t going after the businessman’s voters. “I’m going after everybody in America, because, you know, we live in very perilous times,” Carson said. “Our country is in grave danger. And if we don’t begin to change our direction and change our attitude, I think we may not survive into the future.”