Donald Trump has picked retired neurosurgeon Dr. Ben Carson to serve as secretary of the Department of Housing and Urban Development, or HUD. Trump picked Carson even though the doctor has no experience in housing or urban policy. Last month, Carson told The Washington Post, “Having me as a federal bureaucrat would be like a fish out of water, quite frankly.” For more, we speak with Jumaane Williams, New York city councilmember for District 45 and chair of the city’s Housing and Buildings Committee. He has spent much of his career fighting for affordable housing.
TRANSCRIPT
AMY GOODMAN: We end today’s show looking at Dr. Ben Carson, the retired neurosurgeon who Donald Trump has tapped to be secretary of Department of Housing and Urban Development, or HUD. Trump picked Carson even though the doctor has no experience in housing or urban development. Last month, Dr. Carson told The Washington Post, quote, “Having me as a federal bureaucrat would be like a fish out of water, quite frankly.” Dr. Carson’s top adviser, Armstrong Williams, has also admitted this lack of experience could be problematic. Williams said last month, quote, “Dr. Carson feels he has no government experience. He’s never run a federal agency. The last thing he would want to do was take a position that could cripple the presidency,” Williams said.
HUD is a $48 billion agency, which oversees public housing, ensuring low-income families have access to safe homes and neighborhoods. During a recent interview on Fox News, Dr. Carson said he was qualified in part because he grew up in the inner city.
NEIL CAVUTO: What would steer you to take a job for which a lot of folks say, “Hey, you have these ample medical degrees, and one of the nation’s top neurosurgeons. What do you know about doing this?”
DR. BEN CARSON: Well, I know that I grew up in the inner city and have spent a lot of time there and have dealt with a lot of patients from that area and recognize that we cannot have a strong nation if we…