On Tuesday's New Day, CNN political commentator Errol Louis mocked GOP presidential candidate Dr. Ben Carson for his reluctance to support electing a Muslim President as he suggested that Dr. Carson believes he is knowledgeable about Islam from simply having "read a book," or that he may have "scared himself late at night at some point." Louis:
The startling thing in all of this is that Dr. Carson thinks he knows a lot about Islam and why and how people adhere to it. And it's clear he doesn't have that kind of knowledge. Maybe he read a briefing paper. Maybe he read a book. Maybe he scared himself, you know, late at night at some point. But this doesn't have anything to do with reality.
A bit earlier, Louis repeated his dubious claim from yesterday that Dr. Carson is somehow violating the Constitution in advocating against electing a Muslim President. Louis:
Trump has sort of wavered himself. He hasn't come out clearly and said that it's outrageous to sort of violate the Constitution and impose a religious test or to elaborate on that religious test, which is what Dr. Carson has been doing.
In the next hour, during a discussion of Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker's exit from the GOP presidential race, co-host Chris Cuomo cracked that Dr. Carson is "blowing himself up with any independent or moderate voters" as he wondered why Governor Walker was dropping out so early. Cuomo:
But why now? With Trump coming under fire. Trump slipping in the polls. Carson, you know, somewhat blowing himself up with any independent or moderate voters that exist. Why now when things are looking better for him?
Below is a transcript of relevant portions of the Tuesday, September 22, New Day on CNN:
6:08 a.m.
ERROL LOUIS, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: Trump has sort of wavered himself. He hasn't come out clearly and said that it's outrageous to sort of violate the Constitution and impose a religious test or to elaborate on that religious test, which is what Dr. Carson has been doing.
CHRIS CUOMO: By making it a test all elected officials must take. You know, when your hand goes on the book or in the air, you say the Constitution comes first. This is not just for Muslims.
LOUIS: Exactly. And so both Donald Trump and Ben Carson, they have a base that is very fractious and in some ways weird, for lack of a better word. And in some cases, they want to hear you say that sharia law is some kind of a threat, although, of course, it is not. That sharia law is, you know, the dream and aspiration of all Muslims, which, of course, it is not. And so they can't just sort of blow them off, or they have chosen not to blow them off and say that's completely ignorant. They're sort of trying to play ball with them, and it will only get both candidates in trouble.
(...)
6:11 a.m.
ERROL LOUIS, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: The startling thing in all of this is that Dr. Carson thinks he knows a lot about Islam and why and how people adhere to it. And it's clear he doesn't have that kind of knowledge. Maybe he read a briefing paper. Maybe he read a book. Maybe he scared himself, you know, late at night at some point. But this doesn't have anything to do with reality.
I mean, look, there are more Muslims than, I think, Episcopalians in this country, you know. I mean, there's a lot of them. There are a lot of different flavors of how you adhere to this faith. This notion you have to renounce your religious faith before you can sort of be sworn in is exactly what the Constitution prohibits. And so he's not getting himself out of this mess.
He seems to be, I think, as was suggested, holding onto 20 percent. Maybe he wants to take 20 percent of the delegates into the convention next year and see if he can negotiate something, but that's as far as that goes. This is not a country that's going to allow that.
7:11 a.m.
CHRIS CUOMO: But why now? With Trump coming under fire. Trump slipping in the polls. Carson, you know, somewhat blowing himself up with any independent or moderate voters that exist. Why now when things are looking better for him?
