Housing and Urban Development Secretary Ben Carson on Tuesday confused an acronym used to describe foreclosed-on property with a sweet snack.
Carson, 67, made the stumble during an appearance before the House Financial Services Committee, which is conducting oversight of his agency.
“I’d also like you to get back to me, if you don’t mind, to explain the disparity in REO rates. Do you know what an REO is?” Rep. Katie Porter, D-Calif., asked.
“An Oreo?” the former neurosurgeon replied.
“No, not an Oreo. An R-E-O,” Porter said.
“Real estate?” Carson responded.
“What’s the ‘O’ stand for?” the freshman lawmaker pressed.
“E-organization?” Carson tried.
“Owned. Real estate owned. That’s what happens when a property goes to foreclosure. We call it an REO,” Porter said.
I asked @SecretaryCarson about REOs – a basic term related to foreclosure – at a hearing today. He thought I was referring to a chocolate sandwich cookie. No, really. pic.twitter.com/cYekJAkRag
— Rep. Katie Porter (@RepKatiePorter) May 21, 2019
Carson appeared to embrace the mistake in a tweet from his office.
“OH, REO! Thanks, @RepKatiePorter. Enjoying a few post-hearing snacks. Sending some your way!” he wrote.
OH, REO! Thanks, @RepKatiePorter. Enjoying a few post-hearing snacks. Sending some your way! pic.twitter.com/q4MMTBWVUI
— Ben Carson (@SecretaryCarson) May 21, 2019
HUD spokesman Raffi Williams told the Washington Examiner: “Given the amount of acronyms used in Washington, when the secretary has conversations about foreclosed properties he calls them what they are: foreclosed properties.”
Carson, a candidate for the 2016 Republican presidential nomination, is no stranger to gaffes or controversial comments. Before suspending his campaign after Super Tuesday, he gained unwanted attention for pronouncing Hamas in a way that sounded more like hummus.
