Former U.S. Secretary of Housing and Urban Development Ben Carson endorsed former President Trump in a speech in Iowa on Sunday.
Ahead of Trump’s scheduled address, Carson introduced the leading 2024 GOP presidential candidate as “my friend and your friend, and a friend of America.”
“As I stand here today, I want to offer my most confident and full endorsement of Donald J. Trump,” said Carson, who ran for president in 2016 and then served in Trump’s administration.
“Donald Trump believes in our freedom of speech, freedom of religion, and the right to keep and bear arms,” he added. “So we can fix our country, and we can make America great again. And President Donald J. Trump is the person to do that.”
Carson quoted Benjamin Franklin, who said America is a republic if you can keep it, and he said, “The way we can keep it is we can put Donald J. Trump back in office.”
Carson characterized Trump as someone who “had the courage to take on the political establishment” despite the risk of great personal and financial loss.
“Donald Trump lost millions, if not billions of dollars. And he’s been attacked constantly and demonized, and yet, he’s still there. They haven’t gotten rid of him. They’re trying to do everything in their power to get rid of [him]. Because he’s the biggest threat to the administrative state and to the swamp,” Carson said.
Carson dropped out of the 2016 primary race and endorsed Trump. He has been a prominent supporter of Trump’s in recent years and served in Trump’s Cabinet through the end of his term.
Carson reiterated his endorsement of Trump in a post on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter, on Sunday.
“Our nation is in desperate need of strong leadership. A President who fights for the American people, our freedoms, our safety, and our future. Donald J. Trump is that leader and I am proud to give him my full endorsement for President of the United States today. Join me in this fight to Make America Great Again!” Carson wrote.