Republican front-runner Donald Trump accused yet another candidate of being “low energy,” taking his favorite moniker for former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush and aiming it at the candidate catching up to him in the polls, former neurosurgeon Dr. Ben Carson.
But the accusation didn’t ruffle Carson, who responded Sunday that it takes “plenty of energy” to operate on people “for 10, 12, sometimes for greater than 20 hours at a time, making critical decisions after many hours of intense work.”
Trump had also blasted Carson’s lack of business expertise, but Carson responded that he has “also spent decades in the business world” running nonprofits and as chairman of a biotech company.
“Well, neurosurgeon is not the only thing that I am, although I will tell you that it requires a lot of knowledge to become a neurosurgeon and you’re not going to have very many dumb people become neurosurgeons,” Carson said on ABC’s “This Week.”
“But, I have also spent decades in the business world and corporate world on the board of Kellogg’s for 18 years, Costco for 16 years, learning both national and international business and dealing with very complex issues,” said Carson. “Being the chairman of the board of Vaccinogen, a biotech company; starting a national scholarship program, nine of 10 of which fail; and winning major national awards that are only given to one organization in the country.”
Carson apologized Friday for implying that Trump was not humble and did not have “fear of the Lord,” saying: “There is no reason ever to question anybody’s faith. That’s something between them and God.”
Although Martha Raddatz prompted Carson repeatedly to attack Trump, Carson refused to do so. “The media loves a gladiator scene,” he said, explaining that he was not going to take the bait and engage in kind with Trump.
