Ben Carson to Visit Syrian Refugees

Recent polls have shown that Ben Carson is slipping. The GOP candidate once was the frontrunner to beat Donald Trump for the Republication nomination, but the rising popularity of Ted Cruz and Marco Rubio has put Carson in jeopardy. In what appears to be an attempt to revive his campaign, the retired neurosurgeon will visit a Syrian refugee camp in Jordan.

Carson has faced criticism for his lack of foreign policy credentials and his comments “likening some Syrian refugees to rabid dogs,” according to Yahoo News. His comments about China’s role in Syrian crisis have also been questioned.

Carson’s campaign aides and U.S. Secret Service agents will join him on his trip, according to the New York Times. Carson is set to return on Sunday.

The controversial placement of Syrian refugees in the United States has been publicly opposed by Republican candidates leading President Obama and his administration to emphasize the intensity of the screening process for the refugees.

Aware his is not a candidate well-versed in matters of foreign affairs, reportedly Carson’s aides hope visiting the refugees will be an enlightening experience.

“I want to hear some of their stories, I want to hear from some of the officials what their perspective is. All of that is extraordinarily useful in terms of formulating an opinion of how to actually solve the problem,” Carson said according to the New York Times.

Image via Flickr/Marc Nozell, resized