HUD Secretary Ben Carson played the victim as he ran to Fox News for the third rehab session last week, this time after he was caught saying his department “would never” take down a rule preventing discrimination against LGBT homeless – one day before HUD proposed rolling back that exact rule.
Carson had already required a double dose of Republican Rehab last week after he embarrassed himself with a shocking display of ignorance about issues his department deals with. Then, as Politico explains below, a proposed HUD rule change proved Carson had either lied to Congress during that hearing or had displayed even more shocking ignorance about his job:
[HUD’s proposed rule] would turn back requirements under an Obama-era rule that operators of single-sex shelters who receive HUD funding “provide equal access to programs, benefits, services, and accommodations in accordance with an individual's gender identity.”
Carson told lawmakers on Tuesday that he was “not currently anticipating changing” the Equal Access Rule under questioning from Rep. Jennifer Wexton (D-Va.).
“Yesterday, I asked Secretary Carson directly if he was anticipating any changes to HUD’s Equal Access Rule, and he said no,” Wexton told POLITICO. “The announcement today that HUD will now allow anti-trans discrimination in shelters demonstrates that he either lied to Congress or has no idea what policies his agency is pursuing. Either way, it’s unacceptable.”
Fox Business/Fox News host Neil Cavuto did his best to help the totally unqualified Carson pretend he deserves to keep his job. Instead of demanding Carson explain the discrepancy between his testimony and HUD’s action, Cavuto merely asked, “[Wexton] says you lied, Secretary. What do you say?”
"I don't think so,” Carson claimed. “The rule from 2012 is not in any way being altered. The rule for 2016 has had some additions made to it. But it appeared to me that she was asking whether we were going to eliminate the prohibitions against discrimination against LGBTQ community and we would never do that."
FACT CHECK: Carson just lied about what happened. Wexton asked him whether HUD had “any current or future plans to eliminate the equal-access rule.” Carson replied, “I’m not going to say what we will do in the future about anything. We don’t know what we’re going to do in the future,” and then said flatly, “I’m not currently anticipating changing the rule.”
Instead of calling out Carson’s dishonesty, Cavuto whitewashed it. He said the rule involves “a relatively arcane area.” Then he gave Carson another opportunity for dishonest Rehab, asking, “How would you describe it?”
"The rule is to prevent discrimination against LGBTQ, and of course we would never take that down," Carson said. "I think we have to be fair to everybody.” But he also made the coded statement that “being fair to everybody … doesn’t mean that you take one group and let their rights supersede other groups.” There was no follow up from Cavuto.
So Carson continued, saying that as part of his effort to be “extraordinarily fair,” HUD is “opening things up to public comment. We're looking at having a forum at HUD where we invite the various stakeholders and LGBT community." That self-described extraordinary fairness, according to Carson, includes hearing from “people who take advantage of the shelters.” Again, there was no follow up from Cavuto about that ominous statement.
Instead, Cavuto gave Carson another opportunity to Rehab his even more shocking gaffe of confusing the real estate acronym “REO” with “Oreo” during an exchange with Democratic Rep. Katie Porter. Cavuto helpfully portrayed the incident by saying, "You were described, sir, as having difficulty hearing during the back and forth with some Congressional members, at one point mishearing the word ‘Oreo.’”
Cavuto next opened an opportunity for Carson to attack Wexton. He read her quote, “’The secretary lied to me and to Congress, lied again when he called me to clarify his testimony. He's proven to be deceitful and inept as HUD Secretary. He should resign.’” Then Cavuto absolved himself of any responsibility for holding Carson accountable by asking, “What did you think of that?"
Sure enough, Carson dishonestly whined, "I think we've reached a very sad point in our country where a hearing that is supposed to be what the policies are becomes just attack, attack, attack. Not really being interested in what the answers are." He said he wanted to “move beyond” that in order to deal with “the issues.”
Of course, it was Carson who, more than two years into his term, was unable to discuss the issues. But rather than point out that inconvenient truth, Cavuto asked Carson, “Was she trying to trap you?"
"I'm not sure what she was trying to do," Carson answered.
Cavuto further kissed up by noting that Carson is a "world-renowned surgeon" with "impeccable credentials" who has "done unprecedented surgeries, you know, separating conjoined twins that would put you in the history books,” as if that discharged any obligation to competently do his current job. “When your basic intelligence is being questioned, at some level that’s got to tick you off,” Cavuto added provocatively.
“It's really not about me, it’s about what we're called to do. I want to change this agency from one that just harbors people to one that puts people on a trajectory to success," Carson grandly claimed. Then, he played the victim, suggesting that he was being attacked just for being in the Trump administration. "I probably should be a little more prepared in these hearings for just hostility and attacks. You know, my general modus operandus [sic] is you be nice and respectful to them, they’ll be nice and respectful to you. That obviously doesn’t work in this particular setting. Maybe some adjustments need to be made.” Again, no follow up from Cavuto.
“We should have balance in all our reporting. And I don’t believe in your case, you’ve gotten that,” Cavuto said, as he closed the lapdog interview.
Watch the Republican Rehab session below, from Fox Business Network’s May 24, 2019 Cavuto: Coast to Coast. The interview was re-aired on Fox News’ Your World.