Talk radio host Hugh Hewitt attracted boos Tuesday evening during the GOP primary debate hosted by CNN, as the attendees seemingly disapproved of his asking retired neurosurgeon Ben Carson whether he would carpet bomb children in the Middle East.
“Dr. Carson, you mentioned in your opening remarks that you’re a pediatric … neurosurgeon,” Hewitt began. “People admire and respect, and are inspired by your life story, your kindness and evangelical core support. We’re talking about ruthless things tonight: Carpet bombing, toughness, war.
“And people wonder: Could you do that? Could you order airstrikes that would kill innocent children by not the scores, but the hundreds and thousands? Could you wage war as a commander in chief?” he added.
Carson responded.
“Interestingly enough, you should see the eyes of some of those children when I say to them, ‘We’re going to have to open your head up and take out this tumor,'” he said. “They’re not happy about it, believe me. And they don’t like me very much at that point. But later on, they love me.
“[B]ut later on, they really realize what’s going on and by the same token, you have to be able to look at the big picture, and understand that it’s actually merciful if you go ahead and finish the job rather than death by 1,000 pricks,” he added.
Hewitt persisted.
“So you are OK with the deaths of thousands of innocent children and civilians?” the radio host asked.
The crowd responded by booing loudly.
“You got it,” Carson said to the crowd, pointing and grinning.
Hewitt continued, “Can you be as ruthless as [Winston] Churchill was in prosecuting the war against the Nazis?”
“Ruthless is not necessarily the word I would use. But tough, resolute, understanding what the problems are and understanding that the job of the president of the United States is to protect the people of this country and to do what is necessary in order to get it done,” Carson responded to excited applause.
