Ben Carson Says He Was Recruited to Overthrow John Boehner as House Speaker

Man, if you think the Republican Party is messed up now, imagine if someone had given stab-happy retired neurosurgeon Ben Carson that giant Donkey Kong gavel. That nightmare scenario (or golden comic premise, depending on your point of view) was narrowly avoided when Carson refused efforts to recruit him as then-Speaker of the House John Boehner‘s successor in 2014.

Carson spun that tale to The Hill on Thursday, and several congressional sources backed him up:

“They were looking for an alternative, they were looking for someone strong and courageous who might really be able to add some spine and some backbone,” Carson said. “I was very flattered that there were several members that thought I’d fit the bill very well, but I think it played out correctly the way that it did.”

There is no rule stipulating that the Speaker be a member of the House.

A second source with knowledge of the situation said that in 2014 “several” House conservatives summoned Carson to Capitol Hill to pitch him on the idea of becoming the next Speaker in the event that they were successful in voting the Ohio Republican out of the position in 2015.

…Carson declined to identify the House Republicans who approached him, but Rep. Matt Salmon (R-Ariz.) told The Hill on Thursday that he was one of a group of three who did so.

It’s not a total loss, though. Even though we won’t get to see Carson going after people with that gavel on the House floor, perhaps he can be persuaded to make an appearance and ask them to point out the dumbest congressman in the House. Considering The Hill’s reporting, my money would be on Matt Salmon.

This is an opinion piece. The views expressed in this article are those of just the author.