Donald Trump slammed Ben Carson Thursday morning, one day after the neurosurgeon questioned the businessman’s faith.
Trump told CNN’s Chris Cuomo on “New Day” that Carson, who was the first surgeon to separate conjoined twins, was an “OK doctor” and said “you look at his faith and I think you’re not going to find so much.”
Trump also called Carson’s views on abortion “horrendous.” Carson is staunchly opposed to abortion now, but was an abortion-rights supporter when he was younger.
“If you look at his past, which I’ve done, he wasn’t a big man of faith. All of a sudden he’s becoming this man of faith and he was heavy into the world of abortion,” Trump said.
A new CNN/ORC Poll, finds the businessman pulling well away from the rest of the GOP field. Trump gained 8 points since August to land at 32%, and has nearly tripled his support since just after he launched his campaign in June. The new poll finds Carson rising 10 points to land in second place with 19%.
Trump, who has repeatedly called himself a counterpuncher, said he was only hitting Carson because he attacked him the day before.
Trump also defended comments he made about Carly Fiorina’s appearance in a Rolling Stone profile published Wednesday, insisting he was not talking about her looks when he said “Look at that face!”
“Would anyone vote for that? Can you imagine that, the face of our next president,” Trump had said while sitting with a Rolling Stone reporter.
“I’m not talking about looks. I’m talking about persona,” Trump insisted CNN’s “New Day.”
Trump did not refute the accuracy of the quote.
Fiorina declined the opportunity to punch back Wednesday night on Fox News with Megyn Kelly.
“Well,I think those comments speak for themselves,” Fiorina said. “Honestly, Megyn, I’m not going to spend a single cycle wondering what Donald Trump means.”
But then, sensing an opportunity, Fiorina added:
“Maybe — just maybe — I’m getting under his skin a little bit, because I am climbing in the polls.”