Multiple journalists skewered Ben Carson during his Thursday hearing before the Senate Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs Committee after he seemed to make a remark to Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., that he would not “do anything that will help any American” as Housing and Urban Development secretary even though the full quote reveals the opposite.
The former GOP presidential candidate had an extended back-and-forth with Warren about President-elect Trump and whether he would direct any money as secretary that would benefit Trump and his real estate holdings.
“My concern is whether or not, among the billions of dollars that you’ll be responsible for handing out in grants and loans, can you assure us that not one dollar will go to benefit either the president-elect or his family,” Warren asked.
“It will not be my intention to do anything to benefit any American, particularly,” Carson responded. “It’s for all Americans, everything that we do.”
However, a number of journalists commenting or covering the hearing misquoted Carson and included only the “It will not be my intention to do anything to benefit any American” portion of the quotation.
“It will not be my intention to do anything to benefit any American.”
~Ben Carson?— Joe Scarborough (@JoeNBC) January 12, 2017
One reporter even included the video and cut off the entire latter portion of the quote.
“It will not be my intention to do anything to benefit any American” – Ben Carson pic.twitter.com/1eSQqCnQeh
— Mike Baker (@ByMikeBaker) January 12, 2017
Carson, a famed neurosurgeon, was also pressed on a number of housing related issues, such as his view on a landmark fair housing rule implemented by the Obama administration, while also speaking about his upbringing and how that could affect how he runs the department
