A social media post from a popular conservative account has fueled rumors that former President Donald plans to tap Ben Carson, his former Housing secretary, as his 2024 running mate.
The Calvin Coolidge Project (@TheCalvinCooli1), a social media account with 40,000 followers, claimed on Wednesday that a source close to Trump said Carson—who was the only Black member of Trump’s cabinet—is the leading frontrunner for his vice president in a Wednesday post on X, formerly Twitter.
The claim sparked a flurry of tweets with speculations about whether the former president would choose Carson, with some Trump supporters calling the former secretary an “excellent pick.”
Trump has yet to announce who he wants to run alongside him, although it is thought that he will pick a woman or person of color. Among the names that have been floated are South Carolina Governor Kristi Noem, Senator Tim Scott, House Republican Conference Chair Elise Stefanik, and one of his Republican primary opponents, former United Nations ambassador Nikki Haley.
Asked about whether or not he’d pick a woman as his vice president, Trump told NBC News in September, “I like the concept, but we’re going to pick the best person.”
He added that while Noem was “one of the people I’d consider,” there was a long list of potential picks. Trump appeared to rule out Scott, who has dropped out of the GOP primaries, and Haley when he told a crowd in Michigan he didn’t see any VPs in the Republican primary field.
While Carson’s name may be overshadowed by other high-profile Republicans, he has previously signaled his White House ambitions, launching his own presidential bid in 2016. Carson dropped out after Super Tuesday and endorsed Trump, describing him as representing “the voice of the people to be heard.” The retired surgeon has already thrown his support behind Trump for the 2024 election, endorsing the former president at an Iowa rally last month.
“Trump isn’t a politician — we certainly know exactly what he’s thinking, which makes him highly effective for the American people, and a threat to the Washington swamp,” Carson wrote in an op-ed earlier this month for USA Today. “Americans deserve freedom — meaning reduced government regulation, a less biased media, and more opportunity for prosperity. A vote for Trump is a vote for freedom.”
As the then-youngest chief of pediatric neurosurgery in the United States, Carson rose to international fame in 1987 when he led the team of surgeons in the first successful separation of conjoined twins. After retiring from medicine in 2013, he became famous in conservative circles after delivering a speech viewed as critical of Barack Obama’s presidency.
Under the Trump administration, Carson led the Department of Housing and Urban Development, which saw an exodus of career officials under his tenure. Trump’s decision to nominate Carson faced initial skepticism because the retired surgeon had no government experience. As HUD secretary, Carson focused on deregulation and self-reliance in housing policies, a direction praised by conservatives but criticized as undermining Obama-era fair housing regulations.
Carson has been unequivocally loyal to Trump. During the 2020 Republican National Convention, he defended his boss against accusations of racism, saying those who claimed Trump was a racist “could not be more wrong.”
“President Trump does not dabble in identity politics. He wants everyone to succeed and believes in the adage, ‘a rising tide lifts all boats,'” Carson said at the time, touting prison reform and a decrease in unemployment among African Americans during Trump’s presidency.
Carson made headlines in September when he tried to defend Trump again, comparing the former president to Al Capone as proof that the Justice Department was going after Trump.
Asked what evidence he had of the DOJ being weaponized against Trump, Carons told CNN’s Abby Phillips, “Well, let’s put it this way. Al Capone, who was a notorious killer, had one indictment, and Donald Trump has four indictments. That would tell you something right there.”
“It’s evidence that you have a group of people, a system that is out to get this president, and they feel that he is an existential threat to their existence,” Carson said.
Trump has commended Carson’s work at HUD and called it a “great honor” to have his endorsement for president in 2024. He has not suggested that Carson could be his running mate next year.
“A great honor to have just received the Endorsement for President from Dr. Ben Carson,” the former president said on Truth Social. “Thank you Ben!!!”
