Ben Carson warns of "a real possibility of escalation" following violence at canceled Trump rally in Chicago

Trump might want to advise his latest endorser to keep a low media profile after his off-brand interview on "Today"

Published March 14, 2016 4:01PM (EDT)

Former-GOP candidate Dr. Ben Carson guested on NBC's "TODAY" show Monday and went just short of condemning endorsee and Republican frontrunner Donald Trump's incitement of violence against protesters at his rallies. Months of open hostility towards protesters finally came to a head Friday after the Trump campaign cancelled a Chicago event, citing safety concerns.

Asked if he's comfortable with Donald Trump's temperament in the oval office, Carson called Trump's appeal "a magnetic phenomenon ... because he actually represents where people are."

"We as American people need to realize that we are not each other's enemies," he continued. "There are others out there like radical Islamic terrorists who want to destroy us. Those are your enemies. We have to stop and focus on the real enemy here."

"I think we have a tendency to focus on the wrong thing there," Carson responded when pressed to comment on whether Trump bears responsibility for the violence. "The problem is that there are those who are being taught that if someone disagrees with you, you have the right to interfere with their First Amendment rights."

Carson warned that "if the protesters continue with their Alinsky-ite tactics, there is a real possibility of escalation."

"(T)hose who are the victims of (protesters) have two choices," he continued. "They can submit to them and meekly do whatever those protesters want them to do, or they can fight back. And if they decide to fight back, there could be an escalation."

Watch the full interview below:


By Brendan Gauthier

Brendan Gauthier is a freelance writer.

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