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Ben Carson backs Donald Trump, a ‘very intelligent man’

By Kate Linthicum, Los Angeles Times
Published: March 11, 2016, 11:02am

MIAMI — Ben Carson threw his support behind Donald Trump’s presidential campaign Friday, calling the Republican front-runner a “very intelligent man that cares deeply about America.”

Carson, a retired neurosurgeon who captivated some conservative voters with his unconventional campaign before dropping out of the race last week, said Americans need to know that there are “two Donald Trumps.”

There’s the one who dominates headlines with his brash statements, Carson said, and “one that is very cerebral.”

As voters “begin to see the real individual there,” Carson said, “I think we’re going to be comforted as a nation.”

The pair appeared together at a news conference at Trump’s Mar-a-Lago Club in Palm Beach, Fla., a day after Trump squared off in a surprisingly civil debate – “elegant,” in Trump parlance – against his three remaining competitors for the Republican nomination.

Carson implored Republicans to coalesce around Trump.

“A house divided against itself cannot stand,” Carson said, quoting Abraham Lincoln to allude to some Republican leaders who have said they will not back Trump.

“I want the will of the people to be heard,” he said. “I want the political process to play out as it should play out.”

Carson’s endorsement could help boost Trump’s support among evangelical Christian voters, many of whom flocked to Carson’s outsider campaign. That could hurt Trump rival Ted Cruz, who counts evangelicals as part of his base.

Carson has had a rocky relationship with Cruz after accusing Cruz of dirty tricks to keep voters from Carson on the night of the Iowa caucuses.

A few days ago, Cruz won the backing of former Republican candidate Carly Fiorina. Another former candidate, former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush, is said to be meeting with Trump’s rivals, although it is unclear whether he will endorse a candidate ahead of Florida’s Tuesday primary election.

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