Trump on Carson: He’s ‘a doctor and he’s not a deal maker’

Donald Trump, the persistent front-runner in the crowded field of Republican presidential hopefuls, sought to dampen the rising candidacy of Dr. Ben Carson on Sunday, questioning his ability as a leader.

In several national polls, along with those in early nominating states, Trump, a billionaire businessman, and Carson, a retired neurosurgeon, lead the pack of GOP presidential candidates and are both appealing to voters because of their outsider status.

From rival candidates to journalists, Trump has castigated anyone who has even slightly criticized his campaign -- leaving Carson as his most recent target.

“I’m a deal maker. I’ll make great deals for this country,” said Trump, speaking on CBS’ “Face the Nation.” “Ben can’t do that. Ben’s a doctor and he’s not a deal maker and I’ll make great deals for our country, which is very important.”

While campaigning in Iowa on Saturday, Trump cast doubt that Carson has the “energy” to lead the country.

His comments about Carson come as the former head of pediatric neurosurgery at Johns Hopkins Hospital rises in the polls and has, at times, looked to separate himself from the bombast of Trump’s candidacy.

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At a campaign event in Southern California last week, Carson said that what separates him from Trump is that he does not deny a “faith in God.” Carson offered an apology days later, saying he did not mean to offend Trump.

On Sunday, while also a guest on CBS’ “Face the Nation,” Carson dismissed any criticism that he will not be able lead the country and work with allies abroad. He cited his career outside of the operating room in which he’s served on several corporate boards, such as those of Kellogg and Costco.

“It’s ridiculous to think that the only thing that I can do is neurosurgery. I find it quite humorous when people say, ‘He’s an idiot savant. He only knows neurosurgery,’” he said. “Just the fact that they would say something like that, they don’t know what it takes to become a neurosurgeon. That’s pretty idiotic itself.”

When asked if Trump is humble enough to be president, Carson only noted that it “will be a decision that the voters will make.”

In a separate interview on ABC’s “This Week,” Carson addressed Trump criticism of his energy.

“It doesn’t bother me, because I recognize that I have plenty of energy,” Carson said. “You know, operating on people for 10, 12, sometimes for greater than 20 hours at a time, making critical decisions after many hours of intense work, having unexpected situations come up. You don’t have to be loud to be energetic.”

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Nationally the two men are polling at the top of the field, which is similar to here in California, where Republicans favor the outsider candidates. A USC Dornsife/Los Angeles Times poll released Sunday found that 24% of Republicans support Trump and 18% support Carson.

The poll comes just days before the top 11 candidates, who include former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush and current Florida Sen. Marco Rubio, travel to Simi Valley on Wednesday for the Reagan Presidential Library debate.

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