Former pediatric neurosurgeon Dr. Ben Carson said Sunday that the fight to abolish slavery influenced his views on abortion.
Carson was asked about a 1992 ad on abortion on CNN’s “State of the Union.” Carson had originally taken a pro-life position on a Maryland abortion referendum, but then appeared in an ad taking back his previous statement and merely asking voters to be educated on the issue before voting.
Carson said that 20 years ago, “I personally was against abortion, but I was not for causing anybody else to do anything.”
“I’ve changed, because I’ve learned a lot of things,” said Carson. “I began to think about if abolitionists … had said ‘I don’t believe in slavery, but anybody else can do it if they want to,’ where would we be today? So that changed my opinion.”
Asked whether the term “anchor baby” should be off limits, Carson responded that he thought the debate over the term was “silly political correctness.”
“We need to talk about the actual issue” at the border, said Carson.
Carson added that it was a “total lie” he had ever suggested that drones be used at the border to kill people.
When the host repeatedly asked about Carson’s use of the word “drone strike” to describe border operations, Carson said he was talking about striking caves that drug smugglers and human traffickers use.
“Read my lips,” said Carson. “I said there are caves they utilize. Those caves can be eliminated. I’m not talking about killing people.”
