dr. carson. it was really actually sad to hear his statements. >> i got to say, like, someone said i was a lousy journalist, it would kind of tick me off. he called ben carson essentially an okay doctor. any anger from carson? >> of course not. dr. carson in the 18,000 people he has performed surgeries on during his incredible career can speak to that. you know, it's interesting that dr. carson in his conversation with ben terry at the "washington post" this morning apologized if he -- to mr. trump if mr. trump felt that were the case. obviously this has become a media circus where you're pitting candidates against one another. it doesn't happen solve the many issues we have going forward. you think about the crisis. we talk about he said/she said, and then you just fly off the handle and respond to it. to us mr. trump, which is very disturbing for us, sounded almost like a school yard bully, that if you say something i don't like, that i'm going to come after you and everything is on the table. a

dr. carson: thank you. >> thank you, dr. carson for that great talk. we have a few minutes for questions. we have a lot of people who have questions. i want to begin by noting a pullout last night shows you surging. you are currently ahead of governor bush, senator cruz and marco rubio. [applause] >> this is an unusual field. a messy field. not sure what to make of it. between you and carly fiorina and donald trump, people who are not held public office -- what the you make of this? what do you say to people about your electability? dr. carson: i think it means the american people are waking up and they are starting to realize that political experience is not the answer. if you take all the political experience of everybody in congress right now, it comes out to 9000 years. where has it gotten us? what really is important is do you know how to solve problems? are you a problem solver and the you know how to work with other people? one of the things that has become very apparent to me throughout my career and my life in the world of business and sitting

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. carson: our immigration problems will not be fixed until we fix the border. [applause] dr. carson: we were in arizona at the border last week and even though i recognize there are significant problems, i did not know it was as bad as this. i mean, those fences -- those are the same fences i used to scale as a kid. nothing to it at all. [laughter] dr. carson: there was one area where they had cut a wired area through the fence and to repair it they put barbed wire across and there was -- they one it's a film us from the mexican side and they went through the area. they were not particularly athletic people. [laughter] carson: there is no barrier. the poor sheriffs and deputies in the area risk their lives doing things and have to deal with the same people because if we deport them which we do not, they come right back. there is no penalty for people. there is drug trafficking that is going crazy. you can buy more heroin than a pack of cigarettes. new york city, baltimore, places like that. it is destroying us. listen to the farmers and their stories of terror. our fences are

dr. carson. it's not as if these questions are given to the candidate in advance and they asked him a simple question and in answering that question, he made it clear that he would not advocate his support, his voting someone that is muslim as the president of the united states. that's his personal preference. >> okay, mr. williams, let's listen to -- >> speaking of how -- >> for those who may not have seen it, let's refresh everyone's memory here. we will play it and then you can continue your answer. here it is. >> so 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 the nation. i absolutely would not agree with that. >> and you -- would you ever consider voting for a muslim for congress? >> congress is a different story, but it dpent depends on who that muslim is and what their policies are. >> you said that he was asked the question that he didn't know was going to be asked. he had to have known this

dr. carson -- >> let me finish. if dr. carson, because of his love for america, he is willing, everything is not about winning the white house for him. it's about standing up for what he believes in, telling the truth, even if it makes cnn and others uncomfortable. it is what he believes. >> is dr. carson comfortable with anyone other than a christian being president? >> it is not about christian. it is not about jew. it is not about religion. it is about what one believes and what they will advocate if they become president of these united states, a place that you and i, i have no doubt about it, love and cherish and wants to protect. and dr. carson is saying what he believes and he believes it, alisyn. he will not take it back. >> dr. carson is talking about religion, armstrong. he says it here, let me read you his own words. muslims feel that their religion is very much part of your public life and what you dos so a public official and that's inconsistent with our principles and our constitution. what is so striking abou

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. carson: thank you. >> thank you, dr. carson for that great talk. we have a few minutes for questions. we have a lot of people who have questions. i want to begin by noting a pullout last night shows you surging. you are currently ahead of governor bush, senator cruz and marco rubio. [applause] >> this is an unusual field. a messy field. not sure what to make of it. between you and carly fiorina and donald trump, people who are not held public office -- what the you make of this? what do you say to people about your electability? dr. carson: i think it means the american people are waking up and they are starting to realize that political experience is not the answer. if you take all the political experience of everybody in congress right now, it comes out to 9000 years. where has it gotten us? what really is important is do you know how to solve problems? are you a problem solver and the you know how to work with other people? one of the things that has become very apparent to me throughout my career and my life in the world of business and sitting

dr. carson said.t's really alarming in this day and age, in any day and age to be honest with you, but particularly in an america that has been through so many changes and has come to appreciate the importance of diversity had a we have somebody who misunderstands the motto of the united states , e plu pluribus unim, out of the many one, out of the few one. >> isn't dr. carson talking about the political reality if not a true reality? isn't in practical terms he right that in 2015 it is unlikely that a muslim could be president? >> i think he went further than that, saying a muslim should not be president of the united states. that runs afoul against the constitution, no religious test for president of the united states. i can't believe how dr. carson or many of the candidates in one major party in the country who seem to think if you are a christian you should assume that god's law is nor important than the utle constitution. united states constitution. that's what mike huckabee has already said and

dr. carson. if we see dr. oot up after this, we'll know people are interested in alternative to truch. they may like what he's saying but may also want somebody who is not nearly as bombastic or having as many fights or feuds or throwing barbs around. >> maybe they want to hear detail behind the words. >> dr. carson may not have the details. he's just as inexperienced as donald trump and said just as many controversial things, just said it with this genuine tone. >> in a nice way. jane, thank you. >>> caught on video a massive volcanic eruption in japan. >>> and the country tradition where it pays to have a big mouth. you're watching "first look." meo let the new kitchen get some sleep. ♪ if you want beautiful results, you know where to go. angie's list. everyone can shop for services from highly rated companies, even without a membership. but as a member, you can save more. and you get exclusive access to ratings and reviews. angie's list is there... for all your projects - big and small. pretty! come see what

dr. carson only -- >> if dr. carson -- let me finish up. if dr. merica, he is willing -- everything is not about winning the white house for him. it's about standing up for what he believes in, telling the truth, even if it makes cnn and others uncomfortable. it is what he believes. >> is dr. carson comfortable with anyone other than a christian being president? >> it is not about christian. it is not about jew. it is not about religion. it is about what one believes and what they will advocate if they become president of these united states. a place that you and i, and i have no doubt about it, love and cherish and wants to protect. and dr. carson is saying what he believes. and he believes it, alisyn, and he will not take it back. >> muslim civil rights groups have called for him to get out of the race. obviously, that's not happening. but will he sit down with muslims today to clarify how he feels about them? >> only, alisyn and others feel needs to be clarified. you don't have to clarify what you believe in. it is consistent. you believe in who

dr. carson said the other day. dr. carson said campaigning is easier for him because he's not a politician. he can just tell the truth, therefore, while politicians quote, have their finger in the air to see and do what is politically expedient. governor christie, tell dr. carson, is that a fair description of you? >> i know ben doesn't think that about me. i'm sure he was talking about one of the other guys. as far as being an outsider is concerned, let me tell you this, jake. i am a republican in new jersey. i wake up every morning as an outsider. i wake up every morning with a democratic legislature who's trying to beat my head in and fight me because i'm trying to bring conservative change to a state that needed it desperately so everyone can talk up here about their credentials but the bottom line is every morning i get up, veto 400 bills from a crazy liberal democratic legislature, not one of them has been overwritten. i vetoed more tax increases than any governor in american history according to americans to tax

dr. ben carson under fire. the retired neurosurgeon refusing to back down over his comment that the united states should not elect a muslim president. dr. carson on meet the president said the islamic faith is not consistent with american values and just a short time ago dr. carson defended himself in an interview airing with sean hannity 10:00 p.m. eastern. >> let's talk about the interview and what you said specifically about a muslim president. do you stand by the comments? >> absolutely i stand by the comments. you know, what we have to do is we have to recognize that this is america. and we have a constitution. and we do not put people in -- at the leadership of our country whose faith might entry interfere with them carrying out the duties of the constitution. >> the "on the record" political panel is back from the hill a.b. stoddard and abc news political director rick klein. well, rick, he certainly has stirred up the debate. >> he has. and the debate often has to do or starts and ends with the constitu

dr. carson said the other day. dr. carson said campaigning is easier for him because he's not a politician. he can just tell the truth, therefore, while politicians quote have their finger in the air to see and do what is politically expedient. tell dr. carson, is that a fair description of you? >> i know ben wasn't talking about me, i'm sure he was talking about one of the other guys, not me. as far as being an outsider, let me tell you this, jake, i'm a republican in new jersey. i wake up every morning as an outsider. i wake up every morning with a democratic legislature trying to beat my head in and fight me because i'm trying to bring conservative change to a state that needed it desperately. everyone can talk about create terribl -- credentials. every morning ivy toe bills and more taxes than any american in history, what folks want in this country is somebody to go down there and get the job done and that's exactly what i'll do. i know this much, what the american people want to hire is somebody that believes in t

dr. carson a second. >> dr. carson is a hypocrite. >> no, he's not. you don't look like brigitte.ang on. imam, imam, it's not your turn. hang on a second. >> okay. >> brigitte, i got the impression, we just talked to dr. carson, is there any muslim country that you can name that has values that are compatible with american values? in other words, in their treatment of women and minorities, et cetera? any muslim country you can think of? >> no, i cannot think of any muslim country because in almost every muslim country around the world their code, their law is shariah law, and shariah law is not compatible with the constitution. and therefore, the way they live their life according to islamic law is very different than our definition of what freedom and democracy are all about. >> dr. jeffress raised a number of points, i agree. you say you might consider voting for a muslim president but you'd want him to denounce shariah, you'd want him to denounce some of the actions of mohammed, you'd want him to denounce the radical use of the koran and get rid of war against the infidels and

dr. carson is black? >> dr. appeal is that he, as american as apple pie and chevrolet and football and baseball. he's as american as serena williams who we hope to catch her slam. dr. carson relates to the american people. you cannot put him in a box. yes, he understands racism because he grew up in poverty. he grew up with discrimination. he was often mistaken as an orderly at john hopkins. >> she is not defined by race. he is defined by the rise out of poverty, embracing the american dream like many who came here. hardwork, discipline, faith in god and sacrifice. that's what we are. that's who dr. carson is. >> armstrong, you are working hard this vacation week. great to see you. don't forget you can watch ben carson and more than a dozen other presidential contenders debate at the cnn gop debate at the reagan library september 16th. coverage at 6:00 p.m. eastern on cnn. >> a busy night for reporters. the state department released 7,000 pages stuff. some of it was classified. how will this affect the clinton ca

dr. ben carson checking in on the debate stage. jeff zeleny is standing by inside. at's the scene there, jeff. >> reporter: anderson, can i tell you dr. ben carson is standing now on the stage looking at his podium as you can see. note, he is right in the middle of center stage with donald trump just to one side of him. anderson, i can tell you, you've seen it, these podiums are so close together. so he's going as close as he's ever been to his rival donald trump. he's looking over the debate stage right here. of course this is a setting with the air force one right behind him here. but he is a new debater. he's an outside politician. that's one of the reasons he's closing in on donald trump. so he is looking at this very carefully. he's sizing up what the podium looks like. he's smiling and looks relaxed and loose. he just flew in from florida we heard him say a few minutes ago. he seems to be taking this preparation pretty seriously. but he certainly looks relaxed right now, anderson. now he's actually looking where some of his family members will also be sitting i

dr. carson. that believe that religion in any way, by any denomination trumps our constitution, state, federal or our system of laws should not be in elected office. it is up to the people to make that decision as the voters who put people in office but let's face it, we are not a theocracy. and our western values, our judeo-christian values allow for freedom of expression are antithetical to sharia compliant societies and muslim nations where if you're a home sexual you would be stoned. if you're a woman who were raped you would need witnesses to say you did not invite it. where religion trumps freedom, our courts and equal justice system. i'm with dr. carson on that. frankly we don't have control or punishable speech. we're entitled to our opinion in america. bill: i got it. to that in a moment again, but, i take it you agree entirely with what david said? >> no. i agree we have first amendment and that is what makes the united states the best country in the world but you know i have a little t

dr. ben carson is soft-spoken, not a big fan of verbal trench warfare, but tomorrow night dr. carson who has emerged in the polls as trump's main competitor will be standing right there next to the donald as the republicans meet for their second debate. nbc takes us on the trail and inside the o.r. with the doctor. >> this the the hottest thing out there. this hat. >> reporter: it's a campaign at times pulling out more like a reality show than a race for president. >> i'm here for a certain reason. you know, it's called tomorrow night. >> reporter: on the eve of the hotly anticipated second gop debate, entrenched front-runner donald trump ready for the attacks against him. >> how is the debate prep going? >> very good. >> reporter: there is one guy giving him a run for his money, from out of the shadows a new challenger emerging. nearly neck and neck with trump in the latest polls. >> debates are coming up, are you nervous? preparing? what are you doing? >> it's not brain surgery. >> reporter: retired brain surgeon would know. >> of course, you know, i prepare every day. and i'

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. >>> earlier tonight donald trump had a huge rally in dallas. here's some of the highlights. >> you notice what's missing tonight? teleprompters. no teleprompters. the polls come out, and we're really killing it. we are killing it. but we're going to have so many victories and they're going to be great victories, and we're going to have them all the time. because we have an amazing country. we have a country that is dying -- they just want to have victory. we don't have wins any more. we don't have it. remember, do you want a rock star? do you want a -- he's not a rock star. we have an incompetent president. this is no

dr. carson's surrogate. dr. carson is what we would call iowa nice. i've met him. and that's attracted -- that's what's attracting both women, conservative kristens, and why you see him going up in the polls. >> yeah, robert taylor with the carson surrogate you are talking about. i want you to look at this poll. 75% of people polled here, unsatisfied or mad as hell at republicans in congress. 91% of them are unhappy with politicians in general. have you ever seen numbers like this before, len? >> no. i think a lot of experts are saying we haven't had this kind of anti-establishment feeling since 1992. these are -- and to clarify, those are likely gop caucus goers who are mad as hel election at republicans in congress. they are upset atwal street. they are upset at politicians in general. they are upset across the board. and so that is what you are seeing. not only what you are seeing carson and trump doing so well, but on the other side of the coin, bernie sanders. >> you think that the rubber is going to meet the road here when it comes to this next question i'm g

dr. carson -- >> and i think you're going to see a big impact on autism. >> dr. ou just heard his medical intake. >> he's an okay doctor. the fact of the matter is, we have extremely well-documented but it is true we are probably giving way too many in a time and pediatricians are recognizing that and cutting down on the number and proximity in which those are done. >> that's all i'm saying, jake. >> i'm all for vaccines but also for freedom. i'm also a little concerned how they are bunched up. my kids had all vaccines and if the science doesn't say bunching them up is a problem, i ought to have the right to spread them out. >> donald trump has a history of linking vaccines to autism h.e told an emotional story about an employee and sited a 17-year-old story debunked and found to be fraud. the british doctor that did the research lost his medical license. dr. sanjay gupta joins us. >> you heard trump, paul say they are in favor of vaccines but should be done over a longer period of time. is there any merit to spreading them out? >> no. there is really no merit and

dr. carson surging in the polls.ere have some of his best moments on the campaign trail. >> this country was envisioned by individuals who wanted everything to be surrounding the people of, for, and by the people not of for and by the government. the government was to respond to the will of the people not the people to the will of the government. we have allowed the whole thing to be turned upside down. >> we need to have people who actually understand what's going on so that they are not so vulnerable to slick politicians and dishonest media and people who try to manipulate them. it's very hard to manipulate somebody who is equipped with a lot of information. >> think about the people who came before us. nathan hale started as a teenager, became a spy. when he was caught by the british and ready to be executed, he said: my only regret is that i have but one life to give for my country. think about that. think about all the soldiers who gave their lives. many cases knowing that they would never see their loved ones o

dr. carson said he would not support a muslim for president. listen. >> so 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. >> chief washington correspondent james rosen in washington with us with the latest. james? >> good evening. it's not hurting us, that's for sure, ben carson's campaign manager is quoted as saying today. he cites a surgeon fund-raising and 100,000 new facebook friends all since dr. carson made those controversial comments on "meet the press." and the candidate himself as you note is doubling down, telling the hill newspaper that the next commander in chief should be "sworn in on a stack of bibles, not a koran." muslims feel that your religion is part of your public life and that's inconsistent with our principles and constitution, carson said. add -- >> the head of the council on american islamic relations says his group was shocked that such views came from a current candidate

dr. ben carson joins us from south carolina, good morning, dr. carson, did you ever expect to be in this position, bernie sanders another outsider readily admits he's been stunned by his own climb, what do you make of the numbers. >> well, i know, i find that people, once they have an opportunity to hear what i have to say and get an explanation of it, frequently agree and you know, part of the problem is, we live in a sound bite society and people will take one phrase or two praises and then they try to portray the person as that. who has no other ability to think of any other aspects. which of course is not true. when i get in present of people and they have a chance to hear something in depth -- >> polls in iowa show that you actually like you better, think you're honesty and trustworthy, but donald trump is still beating you, what are they missing? >> time. you know, it's a marathon it's not a sprint. and that's why we have this elongated process, i think it will serve us well in the end. >> how can you convince a voter who is now supporting d

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dr. ben carson joins us now from florida. good morning, dr. carson. >> good morning. >> i want to ask you, is it good whole that speaker boehner is leaving? >> well, you know, speaker boehner has served our country for many years and i certainly don't see any reason to debten grate him in any way. it's time for new leadership. there's a lot of unrest and people who feel that a lot of people have been to sent to congress over the last few elections but nothing really has changed. they want to see some results. >> you called him a go along to get along type of guy. it's time to have leaders that put a stake in the ground. i think speaker boehner would say that he did that several times and look where it got him? >> well, a stake in the ground and, you know, the right type of communication with the members and, you know, he may have served very well for that time, but this is a different time. and it's time probably to move on. >> well, let's turn to the big news this morning for you, and that nbc news/"wall street journal" poll, you're neck and n

dr. carson. what do you think dr. carson is going to do? he's not going to reach back?n. >> armstrong, i get it. but you sound like you're making the case for somebody to be the chief neurosurgeon in a hospital. being president of the united states is not something that just plays out in private. you engage the people publicly. you know this, and you know how to do-it-yourself very well. it can't be when he's with 14 people he's very strong. when he's in front of 14 million, he likes to sit back. this is a leader. it's about coming out and being your best on the biggest stage. the question is, will he do that better going forward, what's your thought? >> chris cuomo, listen, he's better at that with the 14 million than 11 people on stage. listen, dr. carson is dr. carson. the american people understand his gentleness. they can see his fire. they can see his strength. there's no -- without question, that he's a leader. chris, you and i both understand that leaders are sometimes formed differently. and they're formed differently for our times. and while you may feel you n

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 here.lso a number of democrats you think clinton gets the nomination, a, less than 14 months to the election day. so if president biden is a no, will your organization throw your weight and support hillary clinton or do you think bernie sanders is a more viable candidate? >> well, i think it's too early to tell. it's clearly wide open. if you go back to cnn's polling on this day in 2007, hillary clinton enjoyed a 23-point lead. we all know how that turned out. i think it's still wide open. the vice president making noise is shaking up the race in a way that i think is positive. it's still really, really early. we'll see how it all plays out. >> do you think it's too early? many are saying it's too late when it comes to setting up a campaign, raising money. you think it's still too early? >> no, in terms of too late to get in the race, absolutely not. the vice president has 100% name id, national network of friends ready to go. i can tell you in the just the 12 or 13 hours since his colbert

dr. carson said originally? ups were media motivate snd. >> frankly, i think you were right to ask the question. i, myself, thought i was hearing dr. carson saying there should be a religious test applied for muslims running for president. i immediately thought, article 6 of the constitution, we can't be going there. but he's clarified and i'm willing to accept it. but you have to ask the question. that's why i'm here. that's why armstrong is here. >> you do it, i might add. >> look, armstrong, it's not the first time, right? dr. carson said being gay is a choice. he used the proof t fact when people go to prison, they're not gay and came out and they are gay. he clarified it. you have to own what you say. it's not about personal -- i hope you understand. >> they're outsiders and it speaks well for the american people, trump and carson, and where we're going. >> work on your ground game, armstrong. >> jeffrey, you're a gentleman and scholar. i appreciate the respect you show dr. carson. >> he's a great guy. >> w