Ben Carson provided some welcome notes of comedy in the Republican presidential primary, back when we could think anything about the Republican presidential possibilities were funny. Now, Carson is still the same hapless, dim guy, but he’s doing it on behalf of Donald Trump. Which means that it’s only funny as long as you can forget that he’s defending the Republican presidential nominee’s history of sexual assault. Appearing on Morning Joe, Carson was asked if he knows what evidence the Trump campaign will present that Trump is innocent of all the unwanted groping and forcible kissing he’s accused of.
No, I do not have any insight into that. Although I do have common sense, and for instance, if somebody's sitting next to you in the first class section of the airplane -- there are stewardesses, there are other people around, and there's this gigantic arm rest. What happened to all those things?
Another first class armrest truther. Great. But maybe the best—and the Trumpiest—part of Carson’s Morning Joe appearance was when he was challenged by the BBC’s Katty Kay, who asked “The real reason that women who have been sexually abused don't come forward to talk about their stories is precisely this, that all too often, they are accused of being liars. Are you saying that these women are lying?” When Kay wouldn’t allow Carson to dodge the question, he appealed to Joe Scarborough:
CARSON: Can you turn her microphone off, please?
SCARBOROUGH: No! It's a simple question, yes or no? Do you believe these women are lying or not? Nobody's trying to paint you as a bad guy. We just want an answer. Straight talk.
That’s right. Ben Carson made Joe Scarborough look like a feminist. Or an adequate journalist. Either way, it’s shocking. Also, Carson defended his candidate against charges of sexual assault by demanding that a female journalist be literally silenced. After a little more crosstalk, Carson again pleaded “Do you guys have a plug, please?”
When even Ben Carson is no longer good for comedic value, you know an election has gone to a dark, dark place.
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