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| Ben Carson endorses Donald Trump: 'He's very cerebral' – campaign live | |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| 2.41pm GMT | |
| 14:41 | |
| What does Trump think about reports that senate majority leader Mitch McConnell is advising colleagues with vulnerable seats on how to run away from Trump? | |
| “I’m sure that will change,” Trump says. | |
| 2.39pm GMT | |
| 14:39 | |
| Trump: 'I will get states that are unbelievable' | |
| Trump says he would win Michigan in a general election and he might even win New York. | |
| “With me, I add a lot of states that aren’t even in play for anybody else,” Trump says, mentioning the Rust Belt. “I will get states that are unbelievable, that are unthinkable for the Republican party.” | |
| 2.37pm GMT | |
| 14:37 | |
| Trump: 'we’ve had enough debates' | |
| “I think we’ve had enough debates. I mean how many times do you have to give the same answer to the same question? Same questions, same people, same everything. | |
| I don’t think there’s any reason for the debates. I know they’re getting very big ratings. And by the way the Democrats aren’t getting ratings at all. | |
| Trump is asked about his call for the GOP to embrace his candidacy. | |
| “The Republican party should come together and embrace these millions of people that are coming out and voting.... there’s something happening that’s really beautiful to see.” | |
| 2.34pm GMT | |
| 14:34 | |
| Like seemingly every Trump appearance, this one has turned into a news conference. Trump said the debate last night was “elegant” and “dignified.” | |
| He says he’d leave the door open on accepting contributions during a potential general election campaign. | |
| Trump is asked again about the “two Donald Trumps.” | |
| Q: Is the real Donald Trump your public persona or your private self? | |
| A: It’s an interesting question. I don’t like to over-analyze myself. I try to be who I am... I try to give a straight answer more than a politically correct answer. I answer truthfully... like the question on Islam... there is a problem. | |
| Trump said yesterday that “I think Islam hates us.” | |
| “I want to answer questions honestly and forthrightly,” Trump says. | |
| Q: Why are there two Donald Trumps? Is it a conscience thing? | |
| A: “I don’t think there are two Donald Trumps. I think there’s one Donald Trump,” in direct contradiction of what he said 5 minutes ago. | |
| “I am a thinker... I’m a very deep thinker. I know what’s happening, OK?” | |
| 2.28pm GMT | |
| 14:28 | |
| Trump blames violence at his rallies on protesters. “We’ve had some violent people at protests. These are people that punch. These are violent people.” | |
| “We’ve had a couple that were really violent... a guy who was swinging, was very loud and then started swinging at the audience. And you know what, the audience swung back. | |
| “If you want to know the truth, the police were very very restrained.” | |
| 2.27pm GMT | |
| 14:27 | |
| Trump on troop deployments: 'It's going to be up to the generals' | |
| Islamic state question. Last night Trump said he would commit 20,000-30,000 troops to beat the perceived threat. | |
| “They’re going to get back real soon. We have to get rid of Isis. It’s going to be up to the generals. The generals are going to play their own game.” | |
| We’ve got to get the right general, Trump says. | |
| Does he regret anything he said about Carson? | |
| “It’s a funny thing,” Trump says. “I was thinking about that yesterday.” He talks about polling last fall. The “one person that just kept sneaking up on me, I couldn’t lose him, was DR Ben Carson,” Trump says. | |
| “I couldn’t lose him, I couldn’t shake him... and I hit him hard. .. but he handled it with such dignity.” | |
| The difference was that people voted for Trump. | |
| Updated | |
| at 2.29pm GMT | |
| 2.23pm GMT | |
| 14:23 | |
| Trump: 'we’ve been contacted by many of the biggest people in Republican politics' | |
| Trump is asked whether he is making outreach efforts to Capitol Hill. | |
| “We have been called by the biggest people in politics, not only Republican politics.” | |
| Trump says House speaker Paul Ryan “reached out”. “Terrific guy, I’ve always liked him, I’ve always respected him.” | |
| “Many other people at the top top level... we’ve been contacted by many of the biggest people in Republican politics. They’re really reaching out to us.” | |
| Updated | |
| at 2.23pm GMT | |
| 2.22pm GMT | |
| 14:22 | |
| Trump: 'I’m a big thinker' | |
| “Ben’s going to have a big, big, part,” Trump says. “Maybe Ben doesn’t know that yet. But he’s going to have a big part.” | |
| Trump’s asked whether he agrees with Carson’s view that there are “two Donald Trumps.” | |
| “I probably do agree. I think there are two Donald Trumps. There’s the public version... but it’s probably different than the personal Donald Trump. | |
| “Somebody that is a thinker. I’m a big thinker.” | |
| 2.20pm GMT | |
| 14:20 | |
| Trump now takes the lectern. He says he and Carson discussed education policy yesterday. | |
| “It was so right on. It was so good. I said Ben, congratulations, you just have to get involved with us on education.” | |
| He makes it sound like a job offer. “Ben is going to get very much involved in that, and he’s going to get involved in health care where he’s an expert.” | |
| But Trump says there was no job offer. “He just wants to help.” | |
| “It’s such an honor to have Ben. He’s a friend, he’s become a friend and I really appreciate the endorsement.” | |
| They hug. Briefly. | |
| Updated | |
| at 2.21pm GMT | |
| 2.19pm GMT | |
| 14:19 | |
| Carson says a house divided against itself cannot stand and together the country will “ascend to a much higher pinnacle” than anyone expects. | |
| 2.18pm GMT | |
| 14:18 | |
| Carson sees spiritual alignment with Trump | |
| Carson’s speaking at a Trump event in Palm Beach. Trump is waiting in the wings. Carson’s standing behind a Trump-branded lectern in front of Trump’s usual backdrop of American flags. | |
| “There’s a lot more alignment, philosophically and spiritually, than I ever thought there was,” Carson says of himself and Trump. | |
| “I’m appealing to the media, as well. You’re part of America, too,” Carson advises. He says the job of the media should be not to divide or sow conflict, but to unite. | |
| “Donald Trump talks a lot about making America great, but it’s not just talk – he means it,” Carson says. | |
| 2.15pm GMT | |
| 14:15 | |
| Carson endorses Trump: he's 'very cerebral' | |
| “I’ll tell you why. First of all, I’ve come to know Donald Trump ... he is actually a very intelligent man who cares deeply about America.” | |
| Carson says there are two Trumps. One you see onstage and a secret Trump backstage, who Carson says is “very cerebral”. | |
| “Some people said he said terrible things about you ... well first of all we buried the hatchet. ... That happens in American politics. | |
| “There’s a lot more alignment, philosophically and spiritually, than I ever thought there was,” Carson says. | |
| Updated | |
| at 2.19pm GMT | |
| 1.21pm GMT | 1.21pm GMT |
| 13:21 | 13:21 |
| Hello and welcome to our live-wire coverage of the 2016 race for the White House. Retired brain surgeon Ben Carson will endorse Donald Trump this morning in an appearance in Florida, Trump announced from the debate stage last night. | Hello and welcome to our live-wire coverage of the 2016 race for the White House. Retired brain surgeon Ben Carson will endorse Donald Trump this morning in an appearance in Florida, Trump announced from the debate stage last night. |
| Carson said on Thursday that it was important for the Republican party to get behind its nominee to ensure the defeat of the Democrats in November. Carson also said he believed that Trump was attracting new voters to the GOP. | Carson said on Thursday that it was important for the Republican party to get behind its nominee to ensure the defeat of the Democrats in November. Carson also said he believed that Trump was attracting new voters to the GOP. |
| But some longtime Carson supporters expressed disappointment that a leader they had valued for his even temperament and Christian values would now get behind a candidate not known for either. | But some longtime Carson supporters expressed disappointment that a leader they had valued for his even temperament and Christian values would now get behind a candidate not known for either. |
| “Let’s hope it is just a bad rumor, otherwise a lot of Dr Carson fans will be heartbroken,” said old Carson friend and former campaign organizer Terry Giles in a statement to the Guardian on Thursday evening. (Read the full statement here.) | “Let’s hope it is just a bad rumor, otherwise a lot of Dr Carson fans will be heartbroken,” said old Carson friend and former campaign organizer Terry Giles in a statement to the Guardian on Thursday evening. (Read the full statement here.) |
| Ever since the Carson endorsement plan was announced, those who care have busied themselves disinterring Trump’s greatest hits against Carson, including this one: | Ever since the Carson endorsement plan was announced, those who care have busied themselves disinterring Trump’s greatest hits against Carson, including this one: |
| With Ben Carson wanting to hit his mother on head with a hammer, stab a friend and Pyramids built for grain storage - don't people get it? | With Ben Carson wanting to hit his mother on head with a hammer, stab a friend and Pyramids built for grain storage - don't people get it? |
| In other news, Trump’s campaign manager, Corey Lewandowski, continued overnight to attack Michelle Fields, the reporter he is accused of physically assaulting this week. “You are totally delusional,” Lewandowski tweeted at Fields. “I never touched you.” | In other news, Trump’s campaign manager, Corey Lewandowski, continued overnight to attack Michelle Fields, the reporter he is accused of physically assaulting this week. “You are totally delusional,” Lewandowski tweeted at Fields. “I never touched you.” |
| Lewandowski’s account contradicts that of a reporter who witnessed the incident, an audio recording of the incident and a photo of her bruises. | Lewandowski’s account contradicts that of a reporter who witnessed the incident, an audio recording of the incident and a photo of her bruises. |
| “Perhaps she made the story up,” Trump himself said after the debate last night. “I think that’s what happened.” | “Perhaps she made the story up,” Trump himself said after the debate last night. “I think that’s what happened.” |
| But the new audio recording that emerged overnight added to the evidence that Fields was not lying but instead was manhandled by Lewandowski. “That was insane,” Fields appears to say. “You should have felt how hard he grabbed me.” | But the new audio recording that emerged overnight added to the evidence that Fields was not lying but instead was manhandled by Lewandowski. “That was insane,” Fields appears to say. “You should have felt how hard he grabbed me.” |
| “He literally almost threw you on the ground,” Washington Post reporter Ben Terris appears to reply. | “He literally almost threw you on the ground,” Washington Post reporter Ben Terris appears to reply. |
| Related: Donald Trump accuses reporter in assault row of 'making the story up' | Related: Donald Trump accuses reporter in assault row of 'making the story up' |
| Did you watch last night’s Republican debate in Miami? It was a staid affair, more reminiscent of action on the Senate floor (“I’d like to thank my colleague from Manhattan for that gracious speech and only would add these supporting points …”) than a Republican debate hall. | Did you watch last night’s Republican debate in Miami? It was a staid affair, more reminiscent of action on the Senate floor (“I’d like to thank my colleague from Manhattan for that gracious speech and only would add these supporting points …”) than a Republican debate hall. |
| “If we nominate Donald Trump, Hillary wins,” Ted Cruz warned. Read all about it here: | “If we nominate Donald Trump, Hillary wins,” Ted Cruz warned. Read all about it here: |
| Related: Republican debate: Trump, Rubio and Cruz put bickering behind them | Related: Republican debate: Trump, Rubio and Cruz put bickering behind them |
| There’s a lot more happening on the campaign trail – thanks for joining us. What’s on your political mind today? | There’s a lot more happening on the campaign trail – thanks for joining us. What’s on your political mind today? |
| Updated | Updated |
| at 1.24pm GMT | at 1.24pm GMT |