Carson says arguing over Trump’s claim that he’s best president for African Americans since Lincoln ‘is not productive’

Housing and Urban Development Secretary Ben Carson said Sunday that arguing over President Trump’s claim that he’s the best president for African Americans since former President Lincoln “is not productive.”

ABC “This Week” host George Stephanopoulos asked Carson whether he stands by the president’s claim in a Thursday Fox News interview that he’s “done more for the black community than any other president” besides Lincoln. 

Carson responded by citing some of the administration’s accomplishments, including promoting opportunity zones, prison reform, and regular and increased funding for historically black colleges and universities.

“To get into an argument about who’s done the most probably is not productive, but it is good to acknowledge the things that have been done,” he said. 

JUST IN: In an interview with @GStephanopoulos, Secretary of Housing and Urban Development Ben Carson declines to back President Trump’s claim that he’s the best president for black America since Abraham Lincoln. https://t.co/MRHKNo8b2x pic.twitter.com/4gHgp308qM

— This Week (@ThisWeekABC) June 14, 2020

Stephanopoulos pushed the secretary, asking if Trump should “stop making that comparison.” The ABC host noted that other presidents have also taken steps to benefit the black community, including former President Lyndon B. Johnson signing the Civil Rights Act and former President Eisenhower sending troops to enforce the ruling in Brown v. Board of Education.

“All of which is a significant part of our history,” Carson responded. “And that’s an important thing for us to acknowledge, what has happened in the past. And, you know, we should be willing to look at what we’ve done together collectively to make progress.”