On Wednesday's New Day, CNN host Alisyn Camerota defended the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) when right-leaning CNN commentator Ben Ferguson called out the extremist group's distortion of Dr. Ben Carson's recent comments on Islam and the U.S. presidency.
At about 7:25 a.m., after Camerota played a more recent clip of Dr. Carson speaking on FNC's Fox and Friends, the CNN host fretted that "it sounds like he's sticking to his original thought of he would not support a Muslim candidate," and asked, "Is that okay for him to say?"
In his response, Ferguson rightly pointed out that CAIR distorted Dr. Carson's original comments from Sunday's Meet the Press as the Muslim activist group accused him of wanting to violate the U.S. Constitution. Ferguson:
Yes, it is, and that's exactly what he should do. And I think many people have taken him out of context. When he said his original comment, "I would not advocate for someone that is a Muslim to be in the White House," he did not say, as CAIR came out and implied, that you should be disqualified from running for the office of the presidency if you are Muslim. And they kept saying "the Constitution says that you should not have a test on someone's religion." He never advocated for that. He never said-
Camerota, who on Monday joined in with other CNN personalities to absurdly suggest that Dr. Carson advocated violating the Constitution, jumped in to faux-correct the conservative commentator. Camerota:
Ben, Ben, hold on. He did say here -- I will read it verbatim. Chuck Todd asked, "So do you believe that Islam is consistent with the Constitution?" Islam. Not radical Islam, not extremist. And Ben Carson says, "No, I don't. I do not."
Ferguson pushed back:
Right. Which is his personal belief. He's not saying that we should pass a law and/or there is a law where a Muslim cannot run. He's saying, personally, I am not going to support someone who is Muslim because I do not believe that coincides with my beliefs and what America is about.
It's the same way Democrats say they are never going to vote for a Republican who is against, as they put it, "a woman's right to choose," even though it's the issue of abortion. This is very normal in politics to have a set of values that you will advocate for and you will not advocate for. It's the reason why I won't support Hillary Clinton.
Still seeming unconvinced, Camerota responded:
Sure, it's just not, it's not consistent in politics to rule out millions of people because they follow a particular religion and say that they could never be President, but -- go ahead, Richard, I know you want in there.
Democratic strategist Richard Socarides accused Dr. Carson and Donald Trump of "pandering to the extreme right-wing racist elements in their party" who are "anti-immigrant" and "anti-everybody." Socarides:
RICHARD SOCARIDES, DEMOCRATIC STRATEGIST: Well, listen, I think the point is, you know, we're trying to slice this every which way. It's hard to know exactly where is stands because I think he's, you know, gone this way a little bit, then he's gone the other way a little bit. But the truth is, is that we should call this for what it is. I mean, right, both Mr. Carson and Mr. Trump, they are pandering to the extreme right-wing racist elements in their party, and they are intentionally-
BEN FERGUSON, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: I strongly disagree.
SOCARIDES: -they are intentionally leaving a little wiggle room so that when they may have to run in the general election, they can take some of it back. But right now, there is a strong element in the Republican Party which they are appealing to -- this anti-immigrant, this anti-everybody faction -- and that's who they're appealing to.
Below is a transcript of the relevant portion of the Wednesday, September 23, New Day on CNN:
ALISYN CAMEROTA: Okay, Ben, it sounds like he's sticking to his original thought of he would not support a Muslim candidate. Is that okay for him to say?
BEN FERGUSON, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: Yes, it is, and that's exactly what he should do. And I think many people have taken him out of context. When he said his original comment, "I would not advocate for someone that is a Muslim to be in the White House." He did not say, as CAIR came out and implied, that you should be disqualified from running for the office of the presidency if you are Muslim. And they kept saying "the Constitution says that you should not have a test on someone's religion." He never advocated for that. He never said-
CAMEROTA: Ben, Ben, hold on. He did say here -- I will read it verbatim. Chuck Todd asked, "So do you believe that Islam is consistent with the Constitution?" Islam. Not radical Islam, not extremist. And Ben Carson says, "No, I don't. I do not."
FERGUSON: Right. Which is his personal belief.He's not saying that we should pass a law and/or there is a law where a Muslim cannot run. He's saying, personally, I am not going to support someone who is Muslim because I do not believe that coincides with my beliefs andf what America is about. It's the same way Democrats say they are never going to vote for a Republican who is against, as they put it, "a woman's right to choose," even though it's the issue of abortion. This is very normal in politics to have a set of values that you will advocate for and you will not advocate for. It's the reason why I won't support Hillary Clinton.
CAMEROTA: Sure, it's just not, it's not consistent in politics to rule out millions of people because they follow a particular religion and say that they could never be President, but -- go ahead, Richard, I know you want in there.
RICHARD SOCARIDES, FORMER SENIOR ADVISOR TO BILL CLINTON: Well, listen, I think the point is, you know, we're trying to slice this every which way. It's hard to know exactly where is stands because I think he's, you know, gone this way a little bit, then he's gone the other way a little bit. But the truth is, is that we should call this for what it is. I mean, right, both Mr. Carson and Mr. Trump, they are pandering to the extreme right-wing racist elements in their party, and they are intentionally-
FERGUSON: I strongly disagree.
SOCARIDES: -they are intentionally leaving a little wiggle room so that when they may have to run in the general election, they can take some of it back. But right now, there is a strong element in the Republican Party which they are appealing to -- this anti-immigrant, this anti-everybody faction -- and that's who they're appealing to.
CAMEROTA: I'm wrapping you because, Ben, I know you strongly disagree with that, but we do have to talk about Hillary Clinton because some say that she is also pandering to a wing of her party. She now says that she opposes the Keystone Pipeline. It took her a long time to come around to that position. Is this because Bernie Sanders opposes the Keystone Pipeline? What took her so long, Richard?
