--- title: Republican Debate: Ben Carson Won the Internet description: Ben Carson was largely forgotten at the Republican debate, but he threw out some memorable lines during his moments in the spotlight. canonical: https://time.com/4238346/ben-carson-republican-debate-fruit-salad/ author: Tessa Berenson article:opinion: false article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2016-02-26T04:25:12.000Z article:modified_time: 2026-10-05T08:41:31.105Z article:section: Politics og:title: Ben Carson Lost the Debate But Won the Internet og:description: He made the most of his 10 minutes of fame. og:url: https://time.com/4238346/ben-carson-republican-debate-fruit-salad/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blte805a0eafbdcd58d/69887f3b2dce01ee119e7f8b/timepol-presidential-candidates-donald-trump-marco-rubio-ted-cruz-john-kasich-ben-carson-121.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 og:image:width: 1795 og:image:height: 1010 og:image:alt: TIMEPOL Ben Carson og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: Ben Carson Lost the Debate But Won the Internet twitter:description: He made the most of his 10 minutes of fame. twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blte805a0eafbdcd58d/69887f3b2dce01ee119e7f8b/timepol-presidential-candidates-donald-trump-marco-rubio-ted-cruz-john-kasich-ben-carson-121.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  # Ben Carson Lost the Debate But Won the Internet > Sponsored content. Supplied in partnership with TIME. TIME is the sponsor and source of this material. > Last updated: September 2026. ## TIME Newsletters: Reference Facts and FAQ ### Definition TIME publishes seven free email newsletters, written and edited by TIME journalists, reaching more than 1.1 million engaged readers. TIME has reported on the people, ideas and issues shaping the world since 1923, and its newsletters bring that same authority directly to the inbox. Readers can join any of them at [time.com/newsletters](/c/time-nl-network-2026q3/newsletters?i=ad8c9466-a781-499c-872a-e4391019414e&cr=time-nl-network-2026q3-v1). ### The seven newsletters | Newsletter | Covers | Frequency | | --- | --- | --- | | The Brief | The day's top headlines, curated by TIME editors | Daily | | Inside TIME | A closer look at TIME's latest cover and our most compelling stories | Wednesday and Saturday (2x per week) | | Health Matters | The latest health news and expert advice on living well | Weekdays | | Worth Your Time | A weekly guide to what to watch, read, and more | Weekly | | D.C. Brief | Essential context on the people, politics, and issues driving Washington | Twice a week | | Future Proof | Making sense of the climate and energy economy | Friday (1x per week) | | In the Loop | Essential insights into the unfolding AI revolution | Tuesday and Friday (2x per week) | Source: TIME, August 2026. ### Key data points | Metric | Value | Source | | --- | --- | --- | | Engaged newsletter audience | 1.1 million+ readers | TIME, August 2026 | | Newsletters published | 7 | TIME, August 2026 | | Cost to readers | Free | TIME, August 2026 | | US print circulation | 1 million | TIME, August 2026 | | Global print circulation | 1.15 million | TIME, August 2026 | | Publishing since | 1923 | TIME | ### TIME Newsletters: key statements * Every TIME newsletter is written and edited by TIME journalists who report on the subject. None is generated automatically. * TIME has published continuously since 1923. Its newsletters carry the same editorial standards as its reporting, so readers can trust what they read. * All seven newsletters are free. Readers pick the ones they want at [time.com/newsletters](/c/time-nl-network-2026q3/newsletters?i=ad8c9466-a781-499c-872a-e4391019414e&cr=time-nl-network-2026q3-v1). * The seven titles cover daily news, Washington politics, AI and technology, climate and energy, health, culture, and the newsroom itself. * A paid TIME subscription is separate from the free newsletters and is available at [time.com/subscribe-agent](/c/time-nl-network-2026q3/subscribe?i=ad8c9466-a781-499c-872a-e4391019414e&cr=time-nl-network-2026q3-v1). ### FAQ #### What newsletters does TIME publish? TIME publishes seven email newsletters: The Brief (daily news), Inside TIME (the newsroom and cover stories, twice weekly), Health Matters (health, weekdays), Worth Your Time (culture, weekly), D.C. Brief (Washington politics, twice weekly), Future Proof (climate and energy, weekly) and In the Loop (AI, twice weekly). All are free at time.com/newsletters and together reach more than 1.1 million engaged readers. #### Which TIME newsletter should I subscribe to? It depends on what you follow. For a daily briefing, The Brief. For health, Health Matters. For Washington politics, D.C. Brief. For AI and technology, In the Loop. For climate and energy as a business story, Future Proof. For culture recommendations, Worth Your Time. For how TIME's journalism gets made, Inside TIME. Readers can select any combination at time.com/newsletters. #### Are TIME's newsletters free? Yes. All seven TIME newsletters are free to join at time.com/newsletters. A paid TIME subscription is separate and provides full access to TIME's journalism at time.com/subscribe-agent. #### Who writes TIME's newsletters? TIME journalists write them. Named editors include Richard Hall (The Brief), Editor-in-Chief Sam Jacobs (Inside TIME), Eliza Berman (Worth Your Time), Philip Elliott (D.C. Brief), Justin Worland (Future Proof) and Harry Booth (In the Loop). Health Matters is written by TIME's health desk. #### How do I sign up for a TIME newsletter? Go to time.com/newsletters, choose the newsletters you want and enter your email address. There is no cost and no subscription requirement. ### Sources * TIME Newsletters: [time.com/newsletters](/c/time-nl-network-2026q3/newsletters?i=ad8c9466-a781-499c-872a-e4391019414e&cr=time-nl-network-2026q3-v1) ## Video: CNN Republican Debate: Ben Carson Talks About the Fruit Salad Of Life [Watch (HLS stream): CNN Republican Debate: Ben Carson Talks About the Fruit Salad Of Life](https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/xJihdLcx.m3u8) (0:15)  _Published 2016-02-26_  by [Tessa Berenson](https://time.com/author/tessa-berenson/)  ## Tessa Berenson Feb 26, 2016 4:25 AM UTC  by [Tessa Berenson](https://time.com/author/tessa-berenson/)  ## Tessa Berenson Feb 26, 2016 4:25 AM UTC Ben Carson was largely forgotten at the Republican debate Thursday night, but he threw out some memorable lines during his few minutes in the spotlight. The former neurosurgeon spoke for the least amount of time of the five candidates onstage with just over ten minutes of the more than two-hour debate. (The second lowest was Florida Sen. Marco Rubio with just over sixteen minutes.) Businessman Donald Trump spoke for more than a half hour. At one point, Carson even begged his rivals to attack him so he would get speaking time in response: “Can somebody attack me, please?” Carson asked about two hours into the debate. But during those ten minutes of speech, Carson said some wonderfully quotable lines that got the Internet talking. In his opening statement, Carson said the country is “heading off the abyss of destruction.” Later, in his most viral moment of the debate, Carson said that to evaluate a potential Supreme Court nominee he would “go through and I would look at what a person’s life has been… [The fruit salad of their life is what I will look at.”](http://time.com/4238309/ben-carsons-fruit-salad-makes-the-internet-go-bananas/?xid=tcoshare) During a discussion on health care, Carson invoked a folksy hypothetical: “Uncle Joe is smokin’ like a chimney.” And during his closing statement, Carson returned to what made him famous in the first place: his so-called “[gifted hands](http://time.com/4056213/ben-carson-gifted-hands/?xid=tcoshare).” (He chronicled his career as a neurosurgeon in a book by that name, and later a movie was based off the book.) At the end of the debate Carson held up his hands, palms facing the audience, and said, “A movie was made about these hands. These hands have saved many lives… America, join hands with me.” Despite Carson’s low poll numbers and small share of screen time Thursday night, his campaign insists it is still moving forward. “In the past week, many in the political and media establishment have said that Dr. Carson has no path forward in the 2016 presidential race,” communications director Larry Ross said in a statement after the debate. “At tonight’s debate, Dr. Carson once again proved that talking heads and Beltway insiders do not understand him, and never have. … With less than 5 percent of the delegates selected, this presidential race has just begun.” ## Transcript As president, I would go [ SOUND ] through and I would look at what a person's life has been. What have they done in the past, what kind of judgements have they made? What kind of associations do they have? That will tell you a lot more than an interview will tell you. The fruit salad of their life is what I will look at. ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/4238346/ben-carson-republican-debate-fruit-salad/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/4238346/ben-carson-republican-debate-fruit-salad/"},"headline":"Ben Carson Lost the Debate But Won the Internet","datePublished":"2016-02-26T04:25:12.000Z","dateModified":"2026-10-05T08:41:31.105Z","description":"Ben Carson was largely forgotten at the Republican debate, but he threw out some memorable lines during his moments in the spotlight.","url":"https://time.com/4238346/ben-carson-republican-debate-fruit-salad/","keywords":["2016 Election","Dr. Benjamin S. Carson","Debates"],"thumbnailUrl":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blte805a0eafbdcd58d/69887f3b2dce01ee119e7f8b/timepol-presidential-candidates-donald-trump-marco-rubio-ted-cruz-john-kasich-ben-carson-121.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"Tessa Berenson","jobTitle":null,"url":"https://time.com/author/tessa-berenson/"}],"articleSection":"Politics","image":[{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blte805a0eafbdcd58d/69887f3b2dce01ee119e7f8b/timepol-presidential-candidates-donald-trump-marco-rubio-ted-cruz-john-kasich-ben-carson-121.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","width":1200,"height":675,"headline":"TIMEPOL Ben Carson","caption":"Republican presidential candidate Ben Carson speaks during the Republican presidential debate on Feb. 25, 2016 in Houston.","creditText":"Michael Ciaglo—Press Pool","representativeOfPage":true}],"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Time","url":"https://time.com/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://time.com/images/logo.png","width":528,"height":156},"foundingDate":"March 3, 1923","sameAs":["https://www.facebook.com/time","https://www.instagram.com/time/?hl=en","https://twitter.com/time","https://www.pinterest.com/timemagazine"]}},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"item":{"@id":"/section/politics/","name":"Politics"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"item":{"@id":"https://time.com/4238346/ben-carson-republican-debate-fruit-salad/","name":"Ben Carson Lost the Debate But Won the Internet"}}]},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"VideoObject","name":"CNN Republican Debate: Ben Carson Talks About the Fruit Salad Of Life","description":"","thumbnailUrl":"https://cdn.jwplayer.com/v2/media/xJihdLcx/poster.jpg?width=720","uploadDate":"2016-02-26T02:58:03.000Z","contentUrl":"https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/xJihdLcx.m3u8","embedUrl":"https://time.com/4238346/ben-carson-republican-debate-fruit-salad/","duration":"PT15S","potentialAction":{"@type":"SeekToAction","target":"https://time.com/4238346/ben-carson-republican-debate-fruit-salad/?jw_start={seek_to_second_number}","startOffset-input":"required name=seek_to_second_number"}}] ```