Ben Carson says he’ll have much more “pep” at the next GOP presidential debate — promising to take the gloves off in a divergence from his usually calm demeanor.
“You’re going to see me not being quite so polite as to never say anything unless somebody asks me something,” Carson told CNN’s Alisyn Camerota on “New Day” Tuesday morning.
Carson said he would insert himself into conversation where necessary and pledged to have more “energy” in his answers after a campaign shakeup that he says has finally given him the team he needs to succeed.
“You’ll see a lot more pep in my step because I don’t have as much weight on my shoulders now,” Carson said of the effects of his campaign revamp. “I think you’ll see that during the debate on Thursday. I’m actually looking very much forward to it.”
Over the holidays, Carson announced a retooling of his team, including the departure of his campaign manager and top spokesman.
The news came amid falling poll numbers that have plummeted since Carson was rivaling front-runner Donald Trump this fall.
He also said the new direction will help combat the idea that he is weak on foreign policy. In the wake of the Paris attacks, there has been an increased focus on national security in the race and Carson has made a number of flubs on foreign policy in the spotlight.
“There’s been a narrative that a person like me couldn’t possibly be commander in chief in this challenging time. We’re in the process of exploding that narrative,” Carson said. “Ask me something about foreign policy and see what my answers are.”
Carson will be in the prime-time debate on Thursday hosted by Fox Business Network in a shrinking field.