Ben Carson, a neurosurgeon and conservative favorite, said on Monday there is a “strong” chance he will run for president.
Asked by conservative radio host Hugh Hewitt about a presidential run, Carson said: “Unless the American people indicate in November that they like big government intervention in every part of their lives, I think the likelihood is strong.”
{mosads}He said he would make a formal announcement “before May of next year.”
Asked if that was too late, Carson said, “No, no. I have a lot of consultants.”
“One of the things I’ve learned is, you need to talk to a lot of people,” he added. “The Bible says in the multitude of counselors is safety, and you look at historical things, and you make sure you have all your I’s dotted and your T’s crossed, and we’re doing that.”
Carson has previously said he’s considering running for president, and he created a political action committee this month that plans to support 10 candidates in the midterm elections. He came in third in the straw poll at the Conservative Political Action Conference in March.
In the interview with Hewitt, Carson said he could hold his own on the debate stage.
“I’ve been talking all of my life,” he said. “And I will continue to talk. You know, I will never be a politician. I will tell you that right off the bat.”
Asked who his core voters would be, Carson said someone who “loves America.”
“I hope it’s going to be that individual who loves America, who understands that we should place the Constitution on the top shelf, that we should not pick and choose who the winners and losers are in our society, and that we shouldn’t pick and choose which laws we want to enforce, and those people who understand that the person who has the most to do with what happens to you in life is you,” he said in comments meant to criticize President Obama’s administration.