Secretary of Housing and Urban Development Ben Carson opted to steer clear of offering his personal opinion on President Donald Trump’s claim comparing his contributions to the black community to that of former President Abraham Lincoln.
Carson appeared on ABC News’ “This Week” Sunday where he discussed the civil and social unrest erupting in cities all over the United States.
Host George Stephanopoulos recalled Trump’s controversial remarks from his recent Fox News interview with host Harris Faulker.
At the time, Trump doubled down on a claim he initially tweeted as the president insisted he has done more for black Americans since Lincoln, who penned the Emancipation Proclamation which abolished slavery.
“I think I’ve done more for the black community than any other president,” Trump said.
Trump then claimed he would “take a pass” on Lincoln’s contribution, saying, “He did good although it’s always questionable, you know, in other words, the end result.”
Stephanopoulos asked Carson, regarding Trump’s statement on doing “more for the black community than any other president,” “Do you stand by that claim?”
Instead of offering a direct answer to the question, Carson said, “I will say, rather than get into an argument about who has done the most, what has, in fact, been done?”
See Carson’s remarks below:
Carson continued by focusing on the Trump administration’s financial contribution to “areas that have traditionally been neglected,” noting the annual increases in revenue for Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs).
Continuing to steer clear from the question Carson wrapped up, saying, “To get into an argument about who’s done the most is probably not productive, but it is good to acknowledge the things that have been done.”
Carson’s remarks came just days after Trump’s interview with Faulkner who also pressed for more context surrounding the president’s comments as he called Lincoln’s legacy “questionable.”
Trump, who has repeatedly defended the Confederacy, says he’s done more for black community than any president with possible exception of Abraham Lincoln but then adds of Lincoln: “He did good although it’s always questionable, you know, in other words, the end result.” #wut pic.twitter.com/nIuu6fRAM2
— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) June 12, 2020
After claiming he had done more for the black community than “any other president,” Faulkner fired back reminding the president that black people are free, to which the president also emphasized, “We are free.”
The racial undertones of Trump’s statement have been met with criticism. However, he still insisted he has contributed more than “Honest Abe.”
