Donald Trump supporter Ben Carson repeated his claim that the real estate mogul would consider a Democratic running mate, just minutes after Trump said he had ruled out such a choice.
MSNBC host Joe Scarborough asked Carson, a retired neurosurgeon surgeon and former presidential hopeful, if the Trump camp would consider looking at Washington insiders to run a alongside the outsider candidate.
“Certainly we would look at everybody,” Carson said. “You know the question came up when I was interviewing with the Wall Street Journal if we would look at a Democrat. We’ll look at them. If there was a Democrat who strongly upheld the Constitution, believed in personal responsibility, hand up rather than a hand out, fiscal responsibility, strong military. We’d be willing to talk to them. If you know of any such Democrats let me know. But clearly you need people who are consistent with the views the President has.”
Carson’s interview came minutes after Trump told Fox News he would rule out a Democratic running mate.
“I would rule them out. We want to have a great ticket. Democrats have been in there a long time,” Trump said on “Fox and Friends.” “It’s just a disaster. No, I’m going to pick a great Republican, and we’re going to have a tremendous victory. We’re going to win.”
When asked by the Wall Street Journal in an interview that published Thursday whether Trump would consider a Democrat, Carson said, “Yes. We would consider people who are Americans and who put America first.”
A spokesperson for Carson said later Thursday the former neurosurgeon “fully expects Mr. Trump to choose a Republican as his running mate.”