‘Waste of a Once Brilliant Mind’: Ben Carson Argues There’s a Political Vendetta Against Trump By Repeating Claim That Al Capone Had Fewer Indictments Than Ex-President Has Now
Former Housing and Urban Development Secretary Ben Carson believes it is outrageous that a recognized gangster like Al Capone was indicted only once, but Carson’s former boss, Donald Trump, has been indicted four times.
The former neurosurgeon — who was Trump’s HUD chief for four years — says this shows there is a political system at play that is bent on destroying the 45th president.
During a conversation this week with CNN’s Abby Phillip about Carson’s choice to endorse Trump in the 2024 presidential election, the reporter quoted multiple members of his past administration who have all said the former reality TV star was a bad leader.
Phillip : What evidence do you have that the DOJ has been weaponized against Trump?
Carson: Al Capone had one indictment. Trump has four.
Phillip: I don’t think that’s evidence of anything except that Trump allegedly has committed conduct that has resulted in indictments pic.twitter.com/8a9tQOPBD6
— Acyn (@Acyn) November 2, 2023
Phillip asked Carson, who made history for leading the first team of doctors to successfully separate twins conjoined at the back of the head, “What are they seeing that you’re not seeing?”
“I think the better question is, what are they not seeing?” Carson retorted. If we allow our Justice Department to be weaponized, we will have lost something very precious and important.”
In response to his answer, Phillip pointed out that there is no evidence to support his claim. In reply, Carson made a quirky comparison drawn from pop culture.
“Well, let’s put it this way. Al Capone, who was a notorious killer, had one indictment, and Donald Trump has four indictments,” he stated, adding, “That would tell you something right there.”
Carson’s comments drew criticism and opened himself to mockery on social media.
“I don’t think he realized the point he just made,” one X user joked. “He must have dirt on Carson,” another wrote.
“This is a combination of mendacity and mental deterioration…What a misuse and waste of a once brilliant mind,” one X user added. No longer gifted!”
This is not the first time that Capone has come up in a conversation regarding the immediate past president, making it seem as if the Prohibition-era mobster is a MAGA talking point for pundits stumping for him.
In September, Trump joked and likened his 91 combined criminal charges represented in all four indictments to Al Capone’s 1931 tax evasion case. The Chicago gangster was sentenced to 11 years in federal prison, serving a portion of it at the infamous Alcatraz prison.
While speaking at the 2023 California Republicans convention in Anaheim, Trump said, “When they indicted me — and then again and again and again — I was never indicted, now I’m setting records. Al Capone was not indicted so much.”
Presidential candidate Donald Trump brags that he’s setting records for indictments: Al Capone was not indicted so much pic.twitter.com/grtCOkmJtt
— Acyn (@Acyn) September 29, 2023
He also made a similar claim in January 2023 in a post on his social media platform Truth Social.
“Because of the Weaponization, Targeting, and Unprecedented Harassment, I believe that I have more lawyers working for me on this Corrupt Law Enforcement induced Bull…. than any human being in the history of our Country, including even the late great gangster, Alphonse Capone!” he wrote, adding, “This is all being done for POLITICAL REASONS in that I am leading everybody, Republicans & Democrats, by big numbers in the Polls. The Disinformation Specialists are at it again, full time. The Fake News is their TOOL!”
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