Ben Carson | Biography & Facts | Britannica

Home » What Is Ben Carson Doing Now » Ben Carson | Biography & Facts | Britannica

Maybe your like

Presidential run and HUD

Ben Carson
Ben CarsonBen Carson, 2014.(more)

With his conservative agenda, Carson initially proved popular with Republican voters, and by October 2015 he was among the party’s front-runners. However, soon thereafter his campaign began to struggle when questions mounted concerning his grasp of foreign policy. In addition, his debate performances were criticized for a perceived lack of energy. After failing to win any states a month into the primary election season, Carson formally suspended his campaign in early March 2016. He was a vocal supporter of eventual winner Donald Trump, who in December 2016 announced that he would nominate Carson to serve as secretary of the Department of Housing and Urban Development. In March 2017 Carson was confirmed by the Senate, 58–41, and took office shortly thereafter.

In an effort to promote self-sufficiency, Carson supported rent increases for those receiving federal housing assistance or living in public housing properties. He also sought to reduce housing regulations, including those designed to end discrimination. Such moves were met with opposition, as critics alleged that he failed to understand the complexities of the issues. In a February 2019 interview Carson suggested that he would leave HUD at the end of Trump’s term in 2021. In March 2020 he was appointed to the government’s task force handling the coronavirus pandemic. In November it was announced that he had tested positive for the disease, and he later claimed that he had become “desperately ill” but recovered after Trump intervened to get him access to an antibody treatment that required FDA approval. Carson stepped down as secretary of HUD in January 2021.

Quick Facts In full: Benjamin Solomon Carson, Sr. (Show more) Born: September 18, 1951, Detroit, Michigan, U.S. (age 74) (Show more) Awards And Honors: Presidential Medal of Freedom (2008) (Show more) Subjects Of Study: epilepsy (Show more) Role In: United States presidential election of 2016 (Show more) On the Web: CNN Politics - Ben Carson Fast Facts (Jan. 09, 2026) (Show more) See all related content Show More

Tag » What Is Ben Carson Doing Now