Housing and Urban Development Secretary Ben Carson said that it is “racist” that black people have the highest abortion rate in the country.
Speaking at the Republican National Convention on Thursday, Carson defended President Trump against accusations of personal racism and touted his opposition to abortion.
“What is racist is the fact that African Americans have the highest abortion rate,” Carson said. “President Trump is the most pro-life president in our country’s history. He will continue to fight for those who cannot yet speak.”
Carson, who before running for president in 2016 was a renowned neurosurgeon, has long been critical of abortion. In 2015, he compared the practice to slavery. Carson also said that he would like to see Roe v. Wade overturned.
“I’m a reasonable person, and if people can come up with a reasonable explanation of why they would like to kill a baby, I’ll listen,” he said.
Recent studies show that the majority of black people support abortion rights and that a disproportionate number of abortions are performed on black women.
