Two top aides to Dr. Ben Carson’s presidential campaign have resigned as part of a campaign shake-up with a little more than a month until the Iowa caucuses.
Carson’s campaign manager Barry Bennett and communications director Doug Watts have stepped down from the campaign, Watts confirmed to the Washington Examiner. In a statement, Watts said that they are resigning “effective immediately.”
“Barry Bennett and I have resigned from the Carson campaign effective immediately,” Watts wrote in an email. “We respect the candidate and we have enjoyed helping him go from far back in the field to top tier status.”
“Having just announced raising $23m for the 4th Q, more than any other Republican candidate, and passing 1 million contributions and over 600 k unique donors since March, we are proud of our efforts for Dr Carson and we wish him and his campaign the best of luck,” Watts added.
Carson confidant Armstrong Williams confirmed that retired U.S. Army Major General Bob Dees will be taking over the reigns as campaign’s chairman. Carson senior advisor Ed Brookover is set to take over as campaign manager, according to a statement from the campaign. Dees told the Examiner that he was excited about the opportunity and his increased role.
“It’s a privilege,” Dees said in a phone interview. “It’s going to allow us to shift into a much higher gear…It’s a very positive transformation.”
Dees, who previously served as Carson’s chief national security advisor, said that the new changes will allow the campaign to spit out policy more often — particularly to fight back against the “narrative” that the former neurosurgeon is weak on foreign policy and national security issues.
“The reality is there’s an argument to be made that he’s the most qualified candidate [on foreign policy],” Dees said, adding that he’s taken “more 2 am calls than any of the candidates” and has the “right reflexes” to be commander in chief.
Dees, who’s worked with Carson since February, also said his team has a shortlist to replace Watts as communcations director, but did not provide a specific timeline.
Carson, once the frontrunner to win in Iowa, has faded in the polls following scruitiny of his inspiring personal story and questions about his foreign policy experience.
The news also comes two days after Carson told Fox News’ Neil Cavuto that changes to the campaign would be made “quite publicly” next week.
According to reports by the Des Moines Register and the Washington Post, Watts and Bennett both blamed Carson’s outside advisers, namely Williams, as the driving force behind the split. Williams, who serves as Carson’s business advisor, responded to Bennett’s claims, saying that it’s just a natural part of the blame game in instances of this kind.
“You gotta blame somebody. I guess I’m the one,” Williams said. “It doesn’t take away from the great contributions that they made. They were wonderful to work with. Hopefully when the dust settles, they can stop blaming me and we can go out and have drinks.”
Bennett also intimated to the Post that more defections to the campaign could be on the horizon. Williams argued that Bennett is being “emotional” now that he’s left the Carson camp.
“Well that’s what Barry expects, It sounds like thats what Barry wants,” Williams said about a potential staff exodus. “But, you know, people come to their own place. We’re dealing with adults. Dr. Carson has put into place a new organization. What people say sometimes when they’re emotional, what actually happens sometimes can be worlds apart.”
“Dr. Carson is focused. He remains in charge,” Williams added, saying that “these things happen.”
Correction: The story previously stated that Dees was set to takeover as both the campaign chairman and campaign manager, according to Williams. It has been updated to reflect that Brookover is assuming that role.
