Carson: ‘I’m glad that Trump is drawing all the fire’ away from me

Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Secretary Ben Carson says he’s relieved that the controversies surrounding President Trump and his White House are in the spotlight, because it allows him to work relatively undisturbed. 

“Let me put it this way: I’m glad that Trump is drawing all the fire so I can get stuff done,” Carson told the Washington Examiner in an interview published Friday.

Carson, a retired neurosurgeon who sought the GOP presidential nomination last year, was tapped by Trump to lead HUD in December, shortly after winning the presidency.

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Critics have called Carson’s qualifications for the job into question, citing his lack of experience in government and housing policy. 

To be sure, Carson has been the subject of occasional controversy. In March, Carson came under fire after he referred to African slaves as “immigrants” during his first speech to agency employees as HUD secretary.

He faced scrutiny again in May when he called poverty “a state of mind,” saying that some people will “work their way right back down to the bottom” no matter how much assistance they get.

For the most part, however, Carson has remained out of the spotlight since taking office. Trump, in contrast, has faced wave after wave of media coverage, much of it focused on the ongoing investigations into possible collusion between his campaign and Russia.

Beyond that, the president has also faced scrutiny over a number of issues, including his push to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act, his weekend trips to his own properties and his possible conflicts of interest related to his business dealings.