Carson: Cruz Campaign Played a Dirty Trick

Rival suggested he was about to drop out
By Rob Quinn,  Newser Staff
Posted Feb 2, 2016 3:26 AM CST
Carson: Cruz Campaign Played a Dirty Trick
Ben Carson speaks during a campaign event in West Des Moines, Iowa.   (AP Photo/Chris Carlson)

Ben Carson has been extremely disappointed to learn that a man can't even go home and get fresh clothes without Ted Cruz playing dirty tricks on him. CNN reports that after Carson announced that he was going to Florida for a couple of days, a Cruz staffer in Iowa emailed precinct captains to suggest that Carson was dropping out of the race. "The press is reporting that Dr. Ben Carson is taking time off from the campaign trail after Iowa and making a big announcement next week," the email read. "Please inform any Carson caucus goers of this news and urge them to caucus for Ted Cruz."

"This is really a dirty trick," Carson told supporters in Iowa. "This makes me more determined than ever to keep going." MSNBC reports that Carson staffers were furious, with a campaign manager calling the Cruz team's behavior the "lowest of the low." "This is horses--t, bottom line," state co-chair Rob Taylor told reporters, adding: "You can bleep it out all you want, but Iowans understand." A Cruz spokeswoman said the campaign "simply stated the facts" after Carson announced that "he was taking time off to go home." She declined to comment when asked about the "big announcement" the Cruz email claimed Carson was going to make. (Carson is still in the race, but two other candidates dropped out on Monday night.)

Get the news faster.
Tap to install our app.
X
Install the Newser News app
in two easy steps:
1. Tap in your navigation bar.
2. Tap to Add to Home Screen.

X