Dr. Ben Carson said Friday he was “not open” to being drafted into the House speaker race “at this time,” but encouraged other candidates inside and outside of Congress, including Newt Gingrich, to openly discuss their ideas for the role.
“The best way to lessen that turmoil is to open the process up and let a number of people who may be interested in the job talk about their vision,” Carson said of the chaotic speaker race Friday on ABC’s “Good Morning America.”
“Let’s get some consensus,” he added.
The Republican presidential candidate, who trails only Donald Trump in the Washington Examiner‘s power rankings, said the end goal of the speaker race should be an “effective Congress,” no matter who wins the speaker’s gavel.
Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy threw the speaker race into disarray Thursday when he unexpectedly withdrew his name from consideration. Republicans on the Hill are now scrambling to find a candidate that can unite the party’s members.
Carson declined to specify whether Hillary Clinton or Vice President Joe Biden, a prospective Democratic candidate, would make a more formidable opponent in a hypothetical general election.
“The election next year is going to be a monumental election,” he noted, arguing it doesn’t matter whether he ultimately faces Clinton or Biden.
