Ben Carson Roasted for Colossal Gaffe: Can’t Expect Sec. of Housing to ‘Know Anything About Housing’

Political observers are not impressed that Housing and Urban Development Secretary Ben Carson needed a tutorial on Tuesday to learn the difference between an Oreo and REO.

Appearing before Congress for an oversight hearing, Congresswoman Katie Porter (D-CA) asked Carson about disparities in REOs — a term which stands for Real-Estate Owned. As Porter explained, REO refers to properties that have been foreclosed by banks or other lenders if owners can’t pay their mortgages.

Carson, however, was unfamiliar with this basic industry term. (“An Oreo?” He asked.) Porter had to define the term for the HUD secretary. The congresswoman tweeted a video of the stunning moment, expressing her wonderment that she had to explain the difference between a real-estate term and a sugary snack.

I asked @SecretaryCarson about REOs – a basic term related to foreclosure – at a hearing today. He thought I was referring to a chocolate sandwich cookie. No, really. pic.twitter.com/cYekJAkRag

— Rep. Katie Porter (@RepKatiePorter) May 21, 2019

As for the rest of the Twitterverse, most reactors were similarly shocked that Carson had to be taught the definition of an REO  or else, and they unleashed the mockery:

“REO” – a foreclosed home repossessed by a bank – is literally one of the first terms taught to new real-estate agents. It’s also one of the defining symbols of the housing crisis, and the reason millions of Americans lost their homes https://t.co/IHJjwF489O

— Drew Harwell (@drewharwell) May 21, 2019

Dear Trump Administration Officials:
Bless your hearts. Please stop going up against @katieporteroc when you don’t know anything about your particular subject. She is smarter than you. And not afraid to prove it. https://t.co/PiAeNPUWzv

— Christina Reynolds (@creynoldsnc) May 21, 2019

the secretary of Housing and Urban Development mistakes a common housing term for a cookie: https://t.co/HvSArGrORw

— Edward-Isaac Dovere (@IsaacDovere) May 21, 2019

Well, come on, you can’t expect the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development to know anything about housing. https://t.co/V5fShLiMEQ

— Kevin M. Kruse (@KevinMKruse) May 21, 2019

This is why SNL efforts to satirize politics today are so feeble. How can anything they do be funnier than this? https://t.co/6jXUHVuRw1

— Daniel W. Drezner (@dandrezner) May 21, 2019

you know what, let’s just shut it all down, just shut it all the fuck down https://t.co/UY4ieq7Zv5

— Chuck Wendig (@ChuckWendig) May 21, 2019

You’ll want to laugh before crying https://t.co/SluNxmXfpU

— Sam Stein (@samstein) May 21, 2019

Speedwagon? https://t.co/363KZIIIZB

— Dave Brown (@dave_brown24) May 21, 2019

Wow… just wow. https://t.co/x3Z6qz6Tu6

— Amy McGrath (@AmyMcGrathKY) May 21, 2019

This is one of the biggest things his agency does. He’s never even heard of it. https://t.co/EZoaPiWFsZ

— Jonathan M. Katz✍? (@KatzOnEarth) May 21, 2019

“A mind is a terrible thing to waste”…and so are cabinet positions. #damn https://t.co/ZnRqGLRjl0

— Jonathan Capehart (@CapehartJ) May 21, 2019