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Ben Carson plans staff shake-up in coming days Ben Carson plans staff shake-up in coming days
(35 minutes later)
Republican presidential candidate Ben Carson is seeking to take control of his struggling presidential campaign, saying in an interview that his drop in the polls is the fault of his advisers and that he plans to shake up his staff in the coming days. Republican candidate Ben Carson is seeking to take control of his struggling presidential campaign amid an increasingly public clash between his top advisers, saying Wednesday that blame for his drop in the polls lies with his campaign and that he plans to shake up his staff in the coming days.
Carson, sitting alone Wednesday in the basement of his Maryland house, said that no one’s job is safe. He complained about budgetary management in a campaign that has spent millions and called some of his top staffers overpaid and ineffective in broadcasting his message. Sitting alone in the basement of his Maryland house, Carson said in an interview with The Washington Post that no one’s job is safe, complained about budgetary management in a campaign that has spent millions and called some of his top staffers overpaid and ineffective in broadcasting his message.
“I’m looking at every aspect of the campaign right now. Everything is on the table, every job is on the table. And we’re going to analyze it very carefully,” Carson said. “It’s not perfect, and we’re going to work on it.”“I’m looking at every aspect of the campaign right now. Everything is on the table, every job is on the table. And we’re going to analyze it very carefully,” Carson said. “It’s not perfect, and we’re going to work on it.”
“I want to see more efficiency in terms of the way money is utilized,” he added, saying he is frustrated with his campaign being described by critics as a “rat hole” for small-dollar donations.“I want to see more efficiency in terms of the way money is utilized,” he added, saying he is frustrated with his campaign being described by critics as a “rat hole” for small-dollar donations.
Carson declined to say whether his campaign manager, Barry Bennett, remains in charge. He was coy and responded by saying changes could come as soon as “tomorrow” and certainly before the Iowa caucuses on Feb. 1. Carson initially declined to say whether his campaign manager, Barry Bennett, would remain in charge. He was coy and responded by saying changes could come as soon as “tomorrow” and certainly before the Iowa caucuses on Feb. 1.
According to two Republicans close to Carson, the retired neurosurgeon is already interviewing consultants for senior roles in the campaign without Bennett’s knowledge. They said Logan Delany, a Carson confidant, is spearheading the process. The comments caught many of his advisers off guard, leading to confusion within the campaign’s ranks about the team’s strategy in the final stretch before the primaries. They also raised questions about who is making decisions and who holds more influence with Carson. “Dr. Carson is back in charge,” said press secretary Deana Bass when asked about the potential campaign shake-up. As for Bennett’s role, Bass said of Carson: “This is his campaign, and these are his decisions.”
Carson’s comments led to confusion within his campaign. “Dr. Carson is back in charge,” said press secretary Deana Bass when asked about the potential campaign shake-up. As for Bennett’s role, Bass said of Carson: “This is his campaign and these are his decisions.” Just hours later, Carson sought to minimize the scale of the shake-up in a statement saying his senior advisers would remain in place “with my full confidence.”
Reached later Wednesday, Bennett said he spoke to Carson and said he remains campaign manager with Carson’s “full confidence.” “We have come a long way and accomplished great things together, and together we look forward to winning in Iowa and beyond,” Carson said. “We are refining some operational practices and streamlining some staff assignments to more aptly match the tasks ahead.”
“We had our standard 3:30pm call and I asked him about the story. He said he has 100 percent faith in the team. Dr. Carson was talking about the campaign and the mechanics, not the people.” But according to two Republicans close to Carson, the retired neurosurgeon has been interviewing consultants for senior roles in the campaign without Bennett’s knowledge. They said Logan Delany, a Carson confidant, is spearheading the process.
Carson said that his current staffers will probably face salary cuts. “It’s one of the things we’re looking at: making sure everyone’s salary is in line with the standard,” he said. He grumbled that some aides are paid “5 percent above average.” Disagreements within the campaign’s highest ranks have broken out into the open on numerous occasions, pointing to a persistent and sharp division between Armstrong Williams — Carson’s longtime business manager who is not formally part of the campaign — and Bennett, a Republican operative. Williams and Bennett have been clashing over Carson’s image and approach, Republicans said, to the point where they often communicate directly to Carson with competing messages.
Carson’s moves — a last-ditch effort to revive what just weeks ago was a front-running bid — comes as Donald Trump and Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Tex.) have begun to dominate the conservative side of the GOP race. On Wednesday, the two also offered competing portraits of a campaign in rapid decline.
Carson’s interview with The Washington Post was one of several he conducted Wednesday to discuss the state of his campaign and his decision to make personnel changes. The Associated Press reported earlier Wednesday that staffing changes were expected. “We had our standard 3:30 p.m. call and I asked him about the story. He said he has 100 percent faith in the team,” Bennett told The Post on Wednesday. “Dr. Carson was talking about the campaign and the mechanics, not the people.”
The shift of power on the campaign back to Carson, a novice candidate who has relied for months on political veterans, is the culmination of his growing unhappiness with his candidacy and the inability of his staff to sustain his momentum. Carson’s interview with The Post was one of several he conducted Wednesday to discuss the state of his campaign and his decision to make personnel changes. The Associated Press reported earlier Wednesday that staffing changes were expected.
Williams set up the interviews on his own without Bennett’s involvement or knowledge. In a phone interview shortly after speaking to Carson late Wednesday, Williams said: “Take what the candidate said to you, in his home and on his invocation, seriously. That is what he said and what he believes.”
Carson said that his staffers will probably face salary cuts. “It’s one of the things we’re looking at: making sure everyone’s salary is in line with the standard,” he said. He grumbled that some aides are paid “5 percent above average.”
The last-ditch effort to revive what just weeks ago was a front-running bid comes as Donald Trump and Sen. Ted Cruz (Tex.) have begun to dominate the conservative side of the GOP race.
Carson insisted that his soft-spoken style and faith-infused pitch were not to blame for his steady decline. “The key thing for me is going to be not changing,” he said. “Everybody wants you to change. They say if you do this, it’ll be better. But that’s what politicians do.”Carson insisted that his soft-spoken style and faith-infused pitch were not to blame for his steady decline. “The key thing for me is going to be not changing,” he said. “Everybody wants you to change. They say if you do this, it’ll be better. But that’s what politicians do.”
Carson said he has been urged privately by his aides to use more “bombast” and to take on Trump and Cruz more forcefully but that he disagreed with their advice. “That’s just not who I am,” he said.Carson said he has been urged privately by his aides to use more “bombast” and to take on Trump and Cruz more forcefully but that he disagreed with their advice. “That’s just not who I am,” he said.
Turning toward the primary calendar, Carson said Iowa and South Carolina will be his chief focus and that New Hampshire, with its “volatile” dynamic, will be less of a target.Turning toward the primary calendar, Carson said Iowa and South Carolina will be his chief focus and that New Hampshire, with its “volatile” dynamic, will be less of a target.
The retired neurosurgeon has been under heavy scrutiny over his grasp of foreign policy issues in the wake of terrorist attacks in Paris and San Bernardino, Calif., which have elevated national-security concerns among voters. Carson’s national support has dropped precipitously in ensuing weeks, bringing him from second place just behind Trump to fourth or fifth place in most national polls. The retired neurosurgeon has been under heavy scrutiny over his grasp of foreign-policy issues in the wake of terrorist attacks in Paris and San Bernardino, Calif., which have elevated national-security concerns among voters. Carson’s national support has dropped precipitously in the ensuing weeks, bringing him from second place just behind Trump to fourth or fifth place in most national polls.
Carson has acknowledged the difficulties on the campaign trail in recent days, even as he dismissed questions about whether his staff was to blame.Carson has acknowledged the difficulties on the campaign trail in recent days, even as he dismissed questions about whether his staff was to blame.
“The key thing for me right now is just to dispel the rumor that I don’t know anything about foreign policy,” he told reporters Monday during a media availability in Manchester, N.H. “I just have to concentrate on making sure that people know it’s not true.” “The key thing for me right now is just to dispel the rumor that I don’t know anything about foreign policy,” he told reporters Monday in Manchester, N.H. “I just have to concentrate on making sure that people know it’s not true.”
The campaign has aggressively sought to correct course by touting the neurosurgeon’s medical accomplishments and stressing that he has been working with foreign policy experts to study geopolitical issues. Carson visited two Syrian refugee camps in November on a quick “fact-finding” journey after Thanksgiving, which he has since publicized in an attempt to gain credibility on the controversy over admitting Syrian refugees into the United States. The campaign has aggressively sought to correct course by touting the neurosurgeon’s medical accomplishments and stressing that he has been working with foreign-policy experts to study geopolitical issues. Carson visited two Syrian refugee camps in November on a quick “fact-finding” journey after Thanksgiving, which he has since publicized in an attempt to gain credibility on the controversy over admitting Syrian refugees into the United States.
The candidate has wilted under the spotlight, stumbling through a high-profile national security speech before the Republican Jewish Coalition earlier this month; he was panned for mispronouncing Hamas, the Islamic Resistance Movement in Palestine, like “hummus,” the chickpea dip. Meanwhile, primary rival Cruz has seized the moment with bombastic national security rhetoric. The candidate has wilted under the spotlight, stumbling through a high-profile national security speech before the Republican Jewish Coalition this month; he was panned for mispronouncing Hamas, the Islamic Resistance Movement in the Palestinian territories, like “hummus,” the chickpea dip. Meanwhile, primary rival Cruz has seized the moment with bombastic national security rhetoric.
There have also emerged significant questions over the caliber of his national campaign staff, which has not only seemingly failed to prepare the candidate for the spotlight but has time and again failed to capitalize on momentum in the polls.There have also emerged significant questions over the caliber of his national campaign staff, which has not only seemingly failed to prepare the candidate for the spotlight but has time and again failed to capitalize on momentum in the polls.
In Iowa, the Carson campaign operation has largely relied on the organic grass-roots support of Christian evangelicals. But some Iowa operatives say the campaign has done little to organize them in a meaningful way ahead of the caucuses in five weeks.In Iowa, the Carson campaign operation has largely relied on the organic grass-roots support of Christian evangelicals. But some Iowa operatives say the campaign has done little to organize them in a meaningful way ahead of the caucuses in five weeks.
This story has been updated.This story has been updated.