dr. ben carson one-on-one. leon: plus, doug hill will be here and tell us just how long we can expect a beautiful, california-like fall weather to last around here. maureen: a long time. doug: love it. robert: i'm robert burton in sports. the latest on desean jackson and his injury. how long is he out? someone is back. jordan reese. we go one-on-one with the i don't want to live with the uncertainties of hep c. or wonder... ...whether should seek treatment. i am ready. because today there's harvoni. a revolutionary treatment for the most common type of chronic hepatitis c. harvoni is proven to cure up to 99% of patients... ...who've had no prior treatment. it's the one and only cure that's... ...one pill, once a day for 12 wks. certain patients... ...can be cured with just 8 weeks of harvoni. with harvoni, there's no interferon and there are no complex regimens. tell your doctor if you have other liver or kidney problems, or other medical conditions. and about all the medicines you take including herbal supplem

dr. ben carson's strong showing? we'll have a special report on that. >> i feel like i've always played within the rules. i would never do anything to break the rules. >> big victory for new england patriot tom brady. a judge voids his four-game suspension. but is the quarterback guilty of cheating? >>> caution, you are about to enter the no spin zone. factor begins right now. thanks for watching us tonight. the changing republican party. that is the subject of this evening's talking points. memo, donald trump held a press conference today in new york city, telling the world he will not run as a third party candidate. mr. trump believing he will win the gop nomination outright. and that he is the man to turn the country around. >> our country can be doing much better. we have deficits that are enormous. we have all bad trade agreements. we have an army that the head said is not prepared. we have a military that needs help, especially in these times. nothing works. our country doesn't work. everybody wins except us. >

dr. ben carson at 20%.veryone else in single digits, how much or a target does that make trump do you think tomorrow night in a debate? >> well, it makes him, you know, the elephant in the room as it were. makes him a big target but i have to say, you know, listening to your description, i can't see it but listening to your description of the rally in dallas, listening to it, when you get a candidate that can look a crowd of thousands in the eye and say corporate inversion, there is something going on here. this is not, this is not just fun and games and that's reflected in these polls. >> so -- >> he will definitely be a target because frankly, they are trying to figure out how to handle him. if they don't get it done, it doesn't going to get done. >> you look at the fact more than 50% of republicans say they are either supporting donald trump or dr. ben carson, two unconventional candidates, how does jeb bush or anyone else for that matter cut into that support at this point? is there only hope for trump

dr. ben carson, what an incredible story. >> i'm ben carson, and i'm a candidate for president of the unitedtates. [cheers and applause] >> he is one of the best neurosurgeons in the world. and might even be your next president. >> we are one nation under god, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. carson's story starts in a broken home in detroit. his mom worked two or three jobs at a time to make ends meet. when he started doing bad in school she had a solution. turning off the tv and submit to written book reports which she couldn't read it didn't matter. because it worked. >> he rose up, attending yale and medical school at the university of michigan revolutionizing his field. becoming the director of pediatric neurosurgeon at johns hopkins at 33 years old. separated conjoined twins, something that set him apart from the other presidential candidates. >> i'm the only one who separated siamese twins. [ laughter ] the only one to operate on babies while they are still in the mother's womb. the only one to take out half of a brain although you would think if you go to washington tha

dr. ben carson, dr. ben carson just spoke. and it's interesting is that he is very public about his faith and about the role his faith would play. if he is elected. >> ben carson. >> ben carson. >> you think that's part of his appeal. his book has been in schools. it's been a key part. he talks about that in his book as well. you think that's what is really pulling some of these evangelical voters. that are liking sort of the softer side of the republican candidate. you have the donald trump who is very big and brash who also is pulling a segment of that group. i think ben carson, he is being looked at as someone who, yeah, he has got a message but his way of saying it is very different. >> so, karen, tell me, the three states iowa new hampshire and south carolina, how are the voters different. >> iowa is a state really all about organization. it's -- the evangelicals there are extremely powerful but really and truly it is about organizations. new hampshire is a much more moderate state independence can go and vote whatever pri

i met him a couple times. >> joining us now to respond, armstrong wments, ben carson's business manager a close friend of dr. carson. armstrong, thank you for being with us. let me ask you right off the bat, donald trump said, you know, ben carson is only an okay doctor. questioned his faith. have you had a chance to talk to dr. carson today to see how he feels about this? >> of course. >> what did he tell you? >> listen, first, dr. carson in no way was questioning mr. trump's faith. he would never minimize mr. trump's faith or anyone's faith. it's just not his style. dr. carson was talking about his faith, his faith in god, his humility, and what drives him. obviously these issues are very sensitive to mr. trump, and it appears as though that mr. trump needed a reason to not only attack dr. carson and carly fiorina, and he certainly found an opening to do so because, i mean, not just talk about the issue of faith, but the other things that he included in his remarks on cnn was just really disappointing actually for dr. carson. it was really actually sad to hear his statements. >> i got to say, like, someon

dr. ben carson on climate change. did dr. carson respond? i'll ask governor brown.e's joining us live. and the countdown continues cnn's republican presidential debate set to begin shortly right here at the ronald reagan presidential library. >>> a critical night in the 2016 campaign is about to get under way right here at the reagan library in california. the cnn republican presidential debate. the candidates are now making their final preparations for a war of words that could reshape the landscape of this white house race. let's get to more on what's going on. the california governor jerry brown, former democratic presidential candidate, he's joining us now. it's all happening in your home state, governor. give us a little sense -- are you going to be watching first of all this republican debate tonight? if you are what will you be looking for? >> well -- what i'll look for number one authenticity. but number two, a sense of gravity about what faces america and faces the world. this is a campaign for president, you know, not for governor or senator or mayor. and

dr. ben carson has slipped to third with 14%. senator marco rubio after what was widely seen as a solid debate performance is fourth at 11% and jeb bush rounds out the top five at 9%. as for carson on "meet the press," he was asked should a president's faith matter and should it matter to voters? >> if it fits within the realm of america and consistent with the constitution, no problem. >> do you believe that islam is consistent with the constitution? >> no, i don't. i do not. i would not advocate that we put a muslim in charge of this nation. i absolutely would not agree with that. >> the other headline out of this new poll is scott walker's campaign has essentially collapsed. now with less than 1% support. gretchen? >> wow. okay, the white house reacting to all of this today. what did she say? >> well, here's the sample of some of their reaction, including that new reaction from the white house. >> i think that the bigger concern and i think frankly the most relevant issue here is the frequency with which significant influentia

dr. ben carson. 40%, jeb bush and carly fiorina, chris christie and rubio. brewing all day long are comments about muslims and they may develop into a head win for dr. ben carson. >> i would not advocate that we put a muslim in charge of this nation. i absolutely would not agree with that. congress is a different story but it dpenepends on who that muslim is just as it depends on what anybody else says. >> i want the get your quick reaction. >> i think that inside the republican primary electorate that is the position of about 80% of voters. >> and it's also the case for a majority of voters. look, ever since the days of the mosques down at ground zero, every time you study a question on islamic extremists, it is very high. it is only with the commentary, if you will, the chattering class of pc people, is there a difference. we're talking about bringing -- last week we were going to bring 10,000 people in and now 100,000? we can't take care of our own veterans. >> talking about refugees? >> refugees. we have incompetence of our e-mails and the government is g

dr. ben carson who is right behind him. rprised at the staying power of donald trump and the power of ben carson? >> in a word, yes. i can see what people see in trump and also in dr. carson. he's got a demeanor about him that's very likable. let me just say this is a great lineup of candidates. i've been good friends with several of them for a long time. i'm big admirers of several of them. served in the senate with rick santorum. i know marco rubio very well. >> can you see donald trump being president of the united states? >> not really. i think we're going to wind up with john kasich to be president of the united states. it's a long way from here to when the real primaries start, but i think as people get to know john kasich more and more, they're going to say this is what we need. this is a man that knows how to get things done. not just talk about it, done it. >> pundits all along have been saying donald trump's not going to get this far. he's been defying pundits all along saying he's kind of in a way rewriting the ru

dr. ben carson said and what trump just said, he just said if properly vetted. does that change anything for dr. carson, if properly vetted? >> well, vetting means that we trust we the people. it is the american people that decides the president of these united states. they have done this time and time again. and they have been quite remarkable in their selections. and all dr. carson was saying was that all one of those americans, the millions of americans that go to the polls and vote, at this time, he would not advocate voting for someone who was muslim. simply exercising his right to vote, his preference, his choice, and in no way does it take away that if many americans go to the polls in the future and decide to do so, that is their constitutional right to do so and we celebrate the will of the people and what they decide. >> so if the american people supported a muslim president, would dr. carson support that president as the president and respect that person as the president of the united states? >> don, always we respect and support the will of the people

dr. ben carson from political outsider to top tier candidate. retired neurosurgeon dr. ben carson continuing his upward surge in the polls. take a look at this one. a brand new quinnipiac university poll putting dr. ben carson in second place with 21% in iowa. only donald trump is ahead of him. the donald pulling at 27%. and, perhaps even more impressive, dr. carson's numbers jumping up 11 points since july. and dr. ben carson goes "on the record." good evening, sir. >> good evening, greta. nice to see you again. >> nice to see you. well, there is one left in -- one less in the g.o.p. field what do you think about governor perry dropping out? >> well, you know, i have gotten to know rubbing perry. he is he a very fine gentleman. a great intellect. and a very fine person. and i wish him the best and certainly if there is a carson administration, we will certainly be seeking his ad vice. >> have you had a chance to reach out to him? i know it just happened a short time ago. >> no, i haven't had a chance to talk to hum yet. >> all right. today you went to ferguson, missouri

dr. ben carson. 27% to 23%. with the sampling error, that's effectively neck and neck. will carson keep turning the other cheek, or will he go on the attack? it's all on the line right now for jeb bush, marco rubio, and another so-called establishment candidates. they're all right now in single digits and they're sure to go all out in the debate tomorrow night trying to bring trump down to earth. bush supporters are trying to give him a jump start with a huge ad campaign while his rivals are prepping for the debate, trump is aboard a uss battle ship "uss iowa" he'll talk national security, international affairs, that supposedly a weak spot in his campaign but sure to fire up some major broadsides. >>> let's begin our coverage this hour with our senior washington correspondent. jeff, set the scene. what's the latest? >> reporter: wolf, this is the place where the republican candidates hope to have a breakout moment here. it truly is not an overstatement to say this is a make or break moment for so man

dr. ben carson. dr. carson, thank you so much for being with us today. and i say this half in jest based on what donald trump said. but how's your energy? >> actually, i feel pretty good. no problems. >> i bet you feel pretty good. all alone at number two in the polls right now. pretty much very far ahead of the rest of the field besides donald trump. the same poll that shows you running second right now, it says americans believe that politicians cannot be trusted. why should americans trust you? >> well, i would say they should look at my life. look at what i've devoted my life to. taking care of people. taking care of children. trying to ensure their futures. you know, starting scholarship programs, being out in the community and helping people. that's what i'm about. and that's the reason that, you know, i've accepted this challenge. >> so donald trump said over the weekend that everybody who attacks me is doomed. in this debate here at the reagan library you will be standing right next to him. what are your intentions at this debate toward donald tr

dr. ben carson. and carly fiorina gaining ground. 11 republicans set to face off in the ronald reagan presidential library. carl cameron is live from los angeles where trump will be speaking on board of the uss iowa. and this is his led up. what do you expect to see and hear today? >> he's talked about coming to do the speech tonight on the deck of the battleship uss iowa. donald trump had a crowd of 20000 people in dallas. he had choice words for ben carson and other rivals and carly fiorina going after as well. all of them outsiders and up in the polls. he will talk about military policy and what he would do to help vets. he identified the problem and open question of whether he will talk about specifics. most of the time his speeches turn into rants against his rivals and last time scott walker on megyn kelliy took trump to task as walker said trump is wrong for america. >> people listen to this, more we realize it is not the country or party and not the country i grew up in. >> reporter: he's ref

dr. ben carson as being great neurosurgeon. i mean, that's the last thing i would do. i mean, i don't think there is anybody that doesn't recognize his talents as a great neurosurgeon. even before dr. ben carson running for politics, everybody knew his name. so, what's the strategy behind donald trump doing that? is that just sort of a lack of a better word a slip? >> i don't think there is a strategy behind donald trump. i think he says, immediately what comes into his brain and comes right out of his mouth. most of us have a filter. he has no filter. frankly it's worked for him. this is a gay who went after carly fiorina's appearance which is probably rule number one you don't go after a female opponent's appearance in politics. he broke that rule and went after it. tomorrow you will see more incoming fire on trump than did you at that first debate. they can't wait anymore. these second tier candidates, these former frontrunners have got to move on. >> here is the interesting thing. i have heard the same comment every time that the people are going to go after donald

dr. ben carson is neck and neck with donald trump, it is so close kim davis just preemptively refused to issue them a marriage license. true. i am not making this up. and retired neurosurgeon ben carson is actually surging in the polls no. wonder, our last loveable black doctor is no longer available. that's right, mother (bleep)er, i haven't forgotten about you. in is the nightly show. let's do this! captioning sponsored by comedy central >> thank you very much. thank you very much. welcome to the nightly show. man, such a great audience. normally you come to the show, people say, man, i hope i get -- listen, the audience i have a black lives matter bracelet,

dr. ben carson is about to go toe to toe with the gop front-runner at tomorrow night's big debate. he is surging in the polls right behind donald trump. we're with him on the trail as he prepares for this face-off and even in the old operating room where he faced some very different challenges. >>> and the fantasy football fight. hundreds of millions of fans will spend hundreds of dollars apiece this season hoping they'll be the next one to strike it rich. why critics want to crack down on this. >>> but first, the "nightline" 5. >> do you suffer from constipation or irregularity? trust dulcolax. dulcolax stool softener makes it smoother. designed for dependable relief. >>> it's from daddy. >> i love you, baby girl. >> duracell quantum lasts longer than 99% of devices so you can always be there. >>> number one in just 60 seconds. ♪ i am never getting married. never. psssssh. guaranteed. you picked a beautiful ring. thank you. we're never having kids. mmm-mmm. breathe. i love it here. we are never moving to the suburbs. we are never getting one of those (minivan). we are never having

dr. ben carson: for what? ? >> strengthening the military. dr. ben carson: strengthening the military.t. thank you for what you are going to do. we appreciate that. you, i have great affinity for the military. i almost ended up going that route. i was offered the full scholarship to west point. i decided to go the medicine regions. we've always had a lot of friends in the military. some incredibly smart people in the military. one of the things that disturbs me enormously is the way that we treat our veterans. now 22-23 of our veterans are committing suicides every day. that is the tip of the iceberg. it tells you that we are not treating them the right way. i think the day that someone enlists in the military we should enroll them in a support program. that should be with them throughout their entire military career. and a year before it their shouldge is planned, we have people working on their transitions of that they are not unemployed when they come out. the should have health savings zedounts that are subsidi by the government and they should be able to go to any doctor or hospit

dr. ben carson. then later, dana perino on what the republican contenders should not do in next week's debate. factor will be right back. there's never been a better time to come to bass pro shops than right now. announcer: bass pro shops is the place for huge savings during our labor day blow out. like savings of $75 after rebate on the masterbuilt sportman elite electric smoker. bass pro shops. it's from virtually anywhere.rn of danger it's been smashed, dropped and driven. it's perceptive enough to detect other vehicles on the road. it's innovative enough to brake ratby itself,ummeled. park itself and help you steer. it's been in the rain... the cold... and dragged through the mud. introducing the all-new mercedes-benz gle. it's where brains meet brawn. >>> well, probably the biggest thing is that, you know, i realize where my successes come from, and i don't, in any way, deny my faith in god. >> you know, i have known ben carson of him for a long time. you never heard faith was a big thing until

dr. ben carson, pafacing calls to drop t after saying he doesn't think a muslim should be president of theing back dana bash. what's the latest on dr. carson? >> i think i can answer that by looking back to 14 years ago, right after 9/11. you remember george w. bush, republican president made very passion net statement appealing for tolerance in this country when it came to muslims. hard to believe how different the republican conversation is now. even in a campaign full of explosive comments, this one immediately stood out. >> i would not advocate that we put a muslim in charge of this nation. i absolutely would not agree with that. >> reporter: ben carson's comment responding to a question whether the islamic religion is consistent with the constitution set off a firestorm in and outside the gop. >> the constitution provides that there should be no religious test for public office and. >> reporter: muslims correct to voter when he failed to correct saying president obama is a muslim. >> we have a problem in the country. it's called muslims. we know our current president is one. >> report

dr. ben carson.hen later, dana perino on what the republican contenders should not do in next week's debate. factor will be right back. how about over there? what does it mean to have an unlimited mileage warranty on a certified pre-owned mercedes-benz? what does it mean to drive as far as you want for up to three years and be covered? it means your odometer is there to record the memories. during the mercedes-benz certified pre-owned sales event now through september 30th, you'll get complimentary pre-paid maintenance and receive your first two month's payments on us. only at your authorized mercedes-benz dealer. if you can't put a feeling into words, why try? philips sonicare leaves your mouth with a level of clean like you've never felt before, making it the most loved electric toothbrush brand by americans and their dentists. innovation and you. philips sonicare. >>> well, probably the biggest thing is that, you know, i realize where my successes come from, and i don't, in any way, deny my faith

dr. ben carson's surge in the polls. bers could mean the front runner donald trump may be feeling the heat in the battle for the gop nomination. more now with dr. ben carson. i want to talk to you about donald trump because you are tied with him as i mentioned in iowa. and the head to head matchups that offered voters in those head to head matchups you were the only republican that beat donald trump at 53% to 36%. now, he kind of already attacked you in the wake of that, went after you a little bit. he said i like dr. carson. he's a nice guy but hasn't created jobs. he is a doctor in an operating room and i created over 10,000 jobs over the course of my career. it's just not the same. your response to that? >> well, my response to that is that interestingly enough and perhaps a lot of people don't know this, i have actually done things in my life other than medicine. i have decades of experience on corporate boards, kellogg, cosco, started a national nonprofit and have been involved in a multitude of things. of all of the

dr. ben carson, of course, we, there is carly fiorina. she's the only person to have graduated from the second tier debate last time around to the main stage. there is john kasich and there is, of course, donald trump. we're back again with john king, gloria boringer, mallika, in terms of what you anticipate. how aggressive do you see some candidates tonight going after donald trump? >> in someways, they box themselves into a corner already because they have been so aggressive with donald trump. they have done it on instagram and in interviews. so in someways, if they don't come into this debate ready to bring the same kind of fire and punch to what

dr. ben carson thinks candidate ben carson is [ bleep ] crazy. [ cheers and applause ] the diagnosis.m rhetoric from candidates like this, it makes it hard to believe that it's 2015, but you can't blame people for not knowing what time it is when they are arresting kids for building clocks. and here's what i think we can all say to that. [ laughter ] this has been "a closer look." ♪ [ cheers and applause ] you guys, we have a great show for you tonight. he is the star of the new show "blunt talk" on starz. patrick stewart is back on the show this evening. the great patrick stewart. [ cheers and applause ] and he is the ohio governor, and a republican presidential candidate, john kasich joins us this evening. looking forward to talking to him. [ cheers and applause ] nfl network analyst michael irvin is on the show tonight. [ cheers and applause ] one of the greatest of all-time. and we will have music from george ezra. [ cheers and applause ] we'll be right back with more "late night." it's going to be a good one. ♪ today, 1 in 5 kids diagnosed with cancer will not survive.t. and that

dr. ben carson is closer to trump than ever before.o what should they both be doing as they prepare tonight? joining me is an ad advisor to jeb bush during his 1994 campaign for governor, who helped prepare him for debates that year. also dr. christy taylor, i would say co-chair for carson america. happy to have both of you here. matt first. as someone who has coached jeb bush before. walk us through how jeb bush prepared. are all typical debate rules really out of the window when it comes to dealing with someone like donald trump if you are jeb bush? >> well, yeah, in this election is obviously so different than '94. he was very young then, making his first race. had no name rek recognition. had no real experience t. challenges there were to be substantive and be informed and cal low. we emphasized preparing on the issues rather than the presentation. >> okay. sorry. go ahead, continue. >> this time, well, this time, it's the total reversal. i mean, he's well versed in the substance and he's facing a, a performer, you know, it's like

dr. ben carson in the spotlight. on "meet the press" sunday, he said that a muslim president should not be in the oval office, and that a president's faith should matter to the voters. >> if it is inconsistent with the values and the principles of america, then of course, it should matter. >> reporter: later when donald trump was asked about the possibility of a muslim president. >> well, some people have said it already happened. >> reporter: a reference to president barack obama. and trump later adding. >> well sh, he has said that he a christian and i am willing to take his word for that. >> reporter: but carson is doubling down on the comment, and in a washington newspaper "the hill" he said that muslims feel very much that your religion is very much a part of the public life, and that is inconsistent with the public life. and democrats were quickly to pounce. >> you judge the candidates for president not on the religion or the color of the skin but on the ideas of what they stand for. >> reporter: this as the la

dr. ben carson are really starting to pull way from the presidential field. a new poll has trump leading the way with 33%. dr. carson comes in second with 20%. a sizable lead over jeb bush, ted cruz, marco rubio and ron paul. the republican front-runner is closing in on hillary clinton now. in a head-to-head matchup, clinton has just a three-point advantage over donald trump among registered voters. the result, 46-43%, as you can see. also tonight, sean, we have no numbers out of new hampshire showing voters are continuing to lean toward the outsider candidates. a new monmouth university poll shows donald trump leading the way in the granite state with 28%. dr. ben carson is in second place. john kasich comes in third and is followed by senator ted cruz who is known for taking on his own party and former hewlett-packard ceo carly fiorina. it seems that voters really want a candidate who doesn't have close ties to the washington establishment. we'll see if this trend continues. >> two outsiders with over 50% of republican support at the stage. pretty amazing. >

dr. ben carson. great to see you tonight. >> thank you. >> some walked away from that exchange, trump suggested you and he are in agreement. just for the record do you agree that there is any sort of a linkage between autism and vaccines? >> no. i think what he was referring to is agreement that the vaccination schedule needs to be adjusted so you're not giving people such a big load in a short period of time. if you asked him about the autism, he would be the only one that can answer that. he indicated to me he has understanding of what i was saying. >> do you believe that story? the child is vaccinated and got autism? his suggestion seemed to be a linkage. >> you have to recognize is that almost all children get vaccinated and there are certain children who are autistic. just about everybody getting vaccinations. some become autistic. you don't think about this logically you'll say the vaccine caused autism. when autism occurs in a certain port population. >> right. question on this. there is a lot

he's ben carson's business manager, a very close confidante of dr. carson. thank you for joining us. we are waiting to hear from cair. we know they're going to call on dr. carson to withdrawal from the race. what do you say to cair? >> that's the deity of america. unlike other countries around the world, you don't get to protest your leaders. you don't get to protest things you disagree with. more power to them. let them do what they need to do and we're going to have to do what we need to do. >> armstrong, help us understand because you and the campaign manager suggest the media is twisting ben carson's words here. i want to get a sense of exactly what he is against, exactly what he would not advocate. he said he would not advocate a muslim in the white house. does it go beyond that? does he think muslims should not be part of the judiciary either because judges -- they interpret the constitution. >> you know, article vi of the constitution, like all articles of the constitution, applies only to the government. amendments i through x applies to individual c

dr. ben carson. second only to donald trump in the polls answered questions today about his platform and policy. today with the doctor's message and what kind of an impression he made. >> ben carson comes off as a classic republican conservative. his own campaign is the symbol that the republican party is becoming more diverse and inclusive. he believes providing fair opportunity for all will solve a lot of our problems. >> every one that we can create success in is a person that we adopt have to worry about -- don't have to worry about or be afraid of or support in the penal system or welfare system. >> he's a district believer in a free market economy, a flat tax advocate who calls for lower corporate taxes. he believes in closing the border to illegal newcomers but would grant guest status to workers already here if they register within 6 months and pay fines or penalties. he suggested a minimum price wage much in the way social security is. on the hot issue of abortion, he flatly opposes it but on

dr. ben carson running second to trump in almost all the polls now.arson has been quikwiquiet on stump, but no more. taking a shot at trump's faith. >> by humility and the fear of the lord are riches and honor in life. that's a very big part of who i am. i don't get that impression with him. maybe i'm wrong. i don't get that impression. >> trump has been looking for a way to engage with carson. he fired back overnight on twitter saying wow i'm ahead of the field with evangelicals and i'm so proud of this and virtually every other group and ben carson just took a swipe at me. >> one candidate still playing nice with donald trump is ted cruz and trump. sharing the stage on capitol hill at the iran nuclear deal. for more on the truce between trump and cruz, let's turn to chief political correspondent dana bash. >> reporter: you know the saying you hug your friends and you hug your enemies tighter. it is unclear which one ted cruz thinks donald trump is. a friend or enemy. they are competitors for the white house, but cruz invited trump outside the capito

dr. ben carson's campaign is in damage control. meanwhile, carolin carly fioring into seconmovinginto second pla. john terret has the story. john. >> ben carson, the man right behind donald trump is in the hot seat regarding his views on muslim america. for second time in the week, islam is dominating the 2016 presidential campaign. ben carson saying, he doesn't think a muslim should occupy the white house. >> i wouldn't advocate we put a muslim in charge of the nation. >> would consider voting for a muslim running for a seat on capitol hill. >> congress is a different story but it depends on who that muslim is and what their policies are. >> reporter: republican front runner donald trump, calling into question president obama's religion. >> muslims, we know our current president is one. >> some thought i should defend the president, and my attitude is would very done that for me if somebody said that for me? >> reporter: trump did sovereign his stance a little bit, saying he would consider a muslim for cabinet. >> i have friends wh

dr. ben carson has a surge. he is really rising in the polls. among republicans nationally. but ben carson is behind in second place getting 23%. and that's a 17-point increase for carson since their last poll in august. joining me now, nbc news senior political correspondent perry bacon. perry, good to see you. explain the appeal of ben carson. is the biggest selling point the fact that he is not the traditional politician? >> you know, this ben carson surge is really surprising. the normal way a candidate goes up in the polls is they spend a lot of time in iowa or new hampshire or around the country and getting media attention the way donald trump is doing but carson is not going that. he is going to california. not spendi ining a lot of time the early states. they love the carson personal story, the idea of very poor to being one of the best doctors in the country and through hard work and frames his story. that's the main part of the appeal is that personal narrative. >> he has a very compelling all-american story that a lot of people are ins

dr. ben carson and former hewlett packard ceo carly fiorina are dominating. a new poll new hampshire republicans finding 22% favor donald trump, 18% favor dr. ben carson. not far behind, carly fiorina at 11%. and here to go "on the record," former outsider, presidential candidate himself businessman herman cain. nice to he see you, herman. >> thank you, greta. happy to be here. >> what's the story? why new hampshire republicans at least tonight or the last few days why do they favor so much donald trump and ben carson and i realize this there is this whole discussion about outsiders. let me ask you the second part of the question. why are the governors being slammed as being insiders? they haven't been to washington. >> i think the new hampshire poll that you just showed reflects the appetite of the entire country. i you hear this every day on my radio show. i hear it when i travel. in other words, they are hungry for an outsider because they see governors as insiders just like they see people that are already in washington, d.c. and that appetite, i don't bel

dr. ben carson. national polls among republicans and he's taking a new swipe today at donald trump. our national political reporter is at a carson rally that's under way in anaheim, california. i see him speaking right behind you, may. what he is saying. you had a chance to question him? >> reporter: there's some really fierce fighting words from ben carson today which you have been talking about is very out of character for him. he's going after trump today. not only on immigration but actually question the authenticity of his faith and i think we just have the sound bite on that. >> the problem, the biggest thing is that you know i realize where my success has come from. and i don't in any way deny my faith in god. >> reporter: so, it just is a really different ben carson out here today. got the gloves off. going after donald trump. what's so interesting is the huge crowd here in anaheim at the convention center in deep blue california and a lot of people in the crowd here said they would not vote

dr. ben carson this weekend said he would not support a muslim for president. what's your thought about this controversy? >> well, i have a lot of respect for ben carson and i like him a lot. and we have had a very good relationship. i you think that basically if somebody can get elected. you know, they are going to be vetted and if somebody can get elected that's what it is all about. it's electoral process. i would tend to go along with that. >> well, you mean tend to go along with that? >> with an election. if you win an election in this country if you win an election. i would say. this you know, ben was saying there are difficulties. and i think everybody knows what those difficulties are. and people want to be politically correct. but there have been difficulties. and a lot of people agree with ben. i do think that ben would also agree though if properly vetted. proper people being vetted going through an election, i think that anybody who is able to win an election will be absolutely fine. >> do i take from that that if properly vetted that you wouldn't ha