Donald Trump slammed inconsistencies in Ben Carson’s personal biography Friday, suggesting his fellow Republican candidate has a “pathological disease.”
“When you suffer from pathological disease, you’re not really getting better unless you start taking lots of pills and things,” Trump, who is fourth in the Washington Examiner’s presidential power rankings, said Friday evening on Fox News’ “O’Reilly Factor.”
“If you think about what Carson’s saying, he hit his mother over the head with a hammer,” Trump said, before host Bill O’Reilly interrupted to correct him by noting that Carson only “almost did.”
“He hit his friend in the face with a lock,” Trump said. “He tried to kill somebody with a knife. He said he suffers from pathological disease, ok?”
After O’Reilly attempted to defend Carson by arguing the retired neurosurgeon was “a kid” at the time, Trump said the cable news host was “gullible.”
“I’m surprised you’re so gullible,” Trump said. “I’ve never seen you like this.”
Carson faced a new wave of scrutiny Friday after Politico published a report casting doubt on his tale of receiving a scholarship to West Point as a senior in high school.
Although Politico quietly walked the report back late Friday afternoon, Carson was forced to confront new questions about the veracity of his inspiring personal story.
Several news outlets earlier this week had uncovered gaps in Carson’s retelling of an instance in which he attempted to stab a close friend as a teenager.
“I don’t think it’s small ball if you have somebody that admits that he suffers from pathological disease,” Trump said of his presidential rival.
Carson has eclipsed Trump in national polls for the first time in recent weeks, prompting the real estate mogul to ratchet up his attacks on Carson.
Trump questioned whether Carson was suited for the presidency given the spate of headlines about his turbulent past.
“If it’s in your stream, it’s in your stream,” he said. “Do you think that’s the right temperament to be president? I don’t think so.”
