--- title: Ben Carson Would Get a Beer (Or Orange Juice) With Jesus description: In an interview with Jorge Ramos, Ben Carson said he would most want to get a beer—or orange juice—with Jesus. canonical: https://time.com/4101519/ben-carson-jesus-beer-jorge-ramos/ author: Tessa Berenson article:opinion: false article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2015-11-05T16:14:17.000Z article:modified_time: 2026-08-19T07:43:46.056Z article:section: Politics og:title: Ben Carson Would Get a Beer With Jesus og:description: Or orange juice, probably. og:url: https://time.com/4101519/ben-carson-jesus-beer-jorge-ramos/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltc71709e15987b257/69886fc0e20a8732ffa8e0fe/ben-carson-jesus-beer.jpg?branch=production&width=594&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 og:image:width: 594 og:image:height: 334 og:image:alt: Republican presidential candidate Ben Carson speaks during a news conference before a campaign event at Colorado Christian University on October 29, 2015 in Lakewood, Colorado. og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: Ben Carson Would Get a Beer With Jesus twitter:description: Or orange juice, probably. twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltc71709e15987b257/69886fc0e20a8732ffa8e0fe/ben-carson-jesus-beer.jpg?branch=production&width=594&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  # Ben Carson Would Get a Beer (Or Orange Juice) With Jesus > Sponsored content. 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Brief is TIME's Washington newsletter, written by senior correspondent Philip Elliott. It explains the politics, personalities and power dynamics behind the headlines, three times a week. It reaches 85,000 subscribers with a 37.0% open rate as of August 2026. #### Where can I get analysis of Washington politics by email? D.C. Brief is TIME's free Washington politics newsletter, available at time.com/newsletters. It is written by a TIME senior correspondent who covers the capital full time. #### Who writes TIME's D.C. Brief? Philip Elliott, a senior correspondent at TIME, writes D.C. Brief. #### Is D.C. Brief free? Yes. D.C. Brief is free at time.com/newsletters.  by [Tessa Berenson](https://time.com/author/tessa-berenson/)  ## Tessa Berenson Nov 5, 2015 4:14 PM UTC  Republican presidential candidate Ben Carson speaks during a news conference before a campaign event at Colorado Christian University on October 29, 2015 in Lakewood, Colorado. Republican presidential candidate Ben Carson speaks during a news conference before a campaign event at Colorado Christian University on October 29, 2015 in Lakewood, Colorado. Justin Sullivan—Getty Images  by [Tessa Berenson](https://time.com/author/tessa-berenson/)  ## Tessa Berenson Nov 5, 2015 4:14 PM UTC Sitting at a table in what appeared to be a diner, Univision host Jorge Ramos asked Republican presidential candidate Ben Carson who he’d like to get a beer — or orange juice — with. Carson’s answer? Jesus. (And it would have to be an orange juice, since Carson, like most Seventh Day Adventists doesn’t drink. “Root beer. No alcohol,” a campaign spokesperson replied when asked.) Carson’s interview with Ramos, which was livestreamed on Facebook Thursday, focused mostly on race and immigration issues, but the retired neurosurgeon dodged Ramos’ two most-pointed questions on immigration. First, Ramos asked if Carson would revoke the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, an executive action taken by President Obama that allowed children brought to the U.S. illegally to avoid deportation. Carson answered that he wasn’t sure yet. “What we have to do is recognize that this is a nation that is of the people, for the people, and by the people. And I believe that the policies that are reflected in the nation should be those policies that are the ones that are wanted by the American people. So I would spend time figuring out what it is the American people want,” Carson responded. Ramos pressed him, asking if that meant he hasn’t decided what he would do. “Correct,” Carson said. Then Ramos asked the former neurosurgeon whether he would end birthright citizenship. “You have to look at the 14th Amendment and ask yourself why it is there,” Carson replied. “It was to address the situation of the freedmen. It was not put in there specifically for the purpose of allowing people who are not citizens to come in an anchor themselves to the country.” He said the amendment gives Congress the power to enforce it, and said, “I would encourage the Congressmen to do their job in conjunction with their constituents to clarify the situation.” Ramos also asked Carson about his [new rapping radio ad](http://time.com/4101377/ben-carson-rap-radio-ad/). “There are members of our campaign who thought that that was something that would resonate with a lot of people,” Carson said. **Read Next:** [_Why Ben Carson Is Running for President_](http://time.com/4055737/ben-carson-interview-time/) ### See Ben Carson's Life in Photos  An early childhood photograph of Ben Carson. Courtesy of Ben Carson Campaign  Ben Carson's graduation from Southwestern High School, Detroit circa 1969. Courtesy of Ben Carson Campaign  Ben Carson with his mother, Sonya, and his future wife, Candy after his graduation from Yale University, circa 1973. Courtesy of Ben Carson Campaign  Dr. Donlin Long, director of neurosurgery, left, and Dr. Ben Carson director of pediatric neurosurgery at John Hopkins Hospital, with brain model of the Siamese twins separated in a 22-hour surgery at Hopkins, Sept. 7, 1987, in Baltimore. Fred Kraft—AP  Dr. Ben Carson shares his personal story with middle school students on March 17, 2000 in Roswell, N.M. Aaron J. Walker—AP  Dr Dennis Rohner, Dr Beat Hammer, Dr Ivan Ng, Dr Ben Carson, Prof. Walter Tan, and Dr Keith Goh rehearse an operation to separate conjoined twins Ladan and Laleh Bijani from Iran at Raffles Hospital on July 5, 2003 in Singapore. Reuters  Dr. Keith Goh (left) adjusts the frame on conjoined twins Ladan and Laleh Bijani as Dr. Ben Carson observes the start of neurosurgery proceedings at the Raffles Hospital on July 6, 2003 in Singapore. Getty Images  Ten-year-old Indian twins Sabah and Farah sit beside Ben Carson (C), Managing Director, Apollo Hospital, New Delhi, Anne Marie Moncure, their father Shakeel (L), their brother (R) and senior child specialist of Apollo Hospital, Dr. Anupan Sibal, on Oct. 4, 2005 in New Delhi. Raveendran—AFP/Getty Images  George W. Bush presents a Presidential Medal of Freedom to Ben Carson for his work with neurological disorders on June 19, 2008 at the White House in Washington. Alex Wong—Getty Images  Ben Carson officially announces his candidacy for President of the United States on May 4, 2015 in Detroit. Bill Pugliano—Getty Images  Ben Carson poses for a photo during the Iowa Republican Party's Lincoln Dinner on May 16, 2015, in Des Moines, Iowa. Charlie Neibergall—AP  Ben Carson speaks during the Energizing America Gala at the 2015 Southern Republican Leadership Conference May 22, 2015 in Oklahoma City, Okla. Alex Wong—Getty Images  Ben Carson at a political fund-raiser for GOP candidates on June 6, 2015, in Boone, Iowa. Jabin Bostford—The Washington Post/Getty Images  Republican presidential candidates from left, Chris Christie, Marco Rubio, Ben Carson, Scott Walker, Donald Trump, Jeb Bush, Mike Huckabee, Ted Cruz, Rand Paul, and John Kasich take the stage for the first Republican presidential debate on Aug. 6, 2015, in Cleveland. Andrew Harnik—AP  Ben Carson prays during church services at Maple Street Missionary Baptist Church on Aug. 16, 2015 in Des Moines , Iowa. Justin Sullivan—Getty Images  Ben Carson rides the Sky Glider with a reporter while touring the Iowa State Fair on Aug. 16, 2015 in Des Moines, Iowa. Justin Sullivan—Getty Images  Ben Carson and his wife Candy on Aug. 18, 2015 in Phoenix. Ross D. Franklin—AP  Ben Carson is greeted by supporters at a rally on Aug. 27, 2015 in Little Rock, Ark. Danny Johnston—AP  Ben Carson at a service at Maple Street Missionary Baptist Church on Aug. 16, 2015 in Des Moines. Daniel Acker—Bloomberg/Getty Images ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/4101519/ben-carson-jesus-beer-jorge-ramos/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/4101519/ben-carson-jesus-beer-jorge-ramos/"},"headline":"Ben Carson Would Get a Beer (Or Orange Juice) With Jesus","datePublished":"2015-11-05T16:14:17.000Z","dateModified":"2026-08-19T07:43:46.056Z","description":"In an interview with Jorge Ramos, Ben Carson said he would most want to get a beer—or orange juice—with Jesus.","url":"https://time.com/4101519/ben-carson-jesus-beer-jorge-ramos/","keywords":["2016 Election","Immigration","Dr. Benjamin S. 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