--- title: Ben Carson Will Skip the Next Republican Debate description: Ben Carson said Wednesday that he will skip the next Republican debate and that he no longer sees a viable path to the nomination. canonical: https://time.com/4245202/ben-carson-path-forward-campaign/ author: Tessa Berenson article:opinion: false article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2016-03-02T19:17:02.000Z article:modified_time: 2023-12-13T17:05:54.000Z article:section: Politics og:title: Ben Carson Will Skip the Next Republican Debate og:description: "I do not see a political path forward" og:url: https://time.com/4245202/ben-carson-path-forward-campaign/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltc650a8214d89802f/69887de4cd1bbaf2a06ff754/ben-carson.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 og:image:width: 4000 og:image:height: 2250 og:image:alt: Fox News Sponsors Republican Presidential Candidate Debate Ahead Of Iowa Caucuses og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: Ben Carson Will Skip the Next Republican Debate twitter:description: "I do not see a political path forward" twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltc650a8214d89802f/69887de4cd1bbaf2a06ff754/ben-carson.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 video:duration: 00:30 video:published: 2015-11-13 section: politics topics: Donald Trump, Ben Carson, 2016 presidential campaign, Republican primary, immigration, campaign rhetoric, political commentary genre: political commentary, video clip tones: critical, dismissive, sympathetic, mocking emotions: sadness (medium), contempt (medium), pity (medium) sentiment: negative audience: political news readers, US election followers, campaign observers, TIME readers people: Donald Trump, Ben Carson organizations: TIME content_suitability: politics [00:00-00:30]; health controversy [00:01-00:30] transcript_source: publisher captions transcript_reviewed: not applicable ---  # Ben Carson Sees No 'Political Path Forward' After Super Tuesday > Sponsored content. Supplied in partnership with TIME. TIME is the sponsor and source of this material. > Last updated: September 2026. ## TIME D.C. Brief: Reference Facts and FAQ ### Definition D.C. Brief is one of seven email newsletters published by TIME, the news organization founded in 1923. Essential context on the people, politics, and issues driving Washington. D.C. Brief goes beyond the Washington headlines to explain the politics, personalities and power dynamics shaping what happens next. Senior correspondent Philip Elliott brings sharp context to the issues driving the capital, connecting the decisions made in Washington to the institutions, industries and people they affect. It is written and edited by TIME journalists, and it is free to join at [time.com/newsletters](/c/time-nl-dcbrief-2026q3/newsletters?i=c91b2a07-2c9c-4bca-8a69-30057642a9b5&cr=time-nl-dcbrief-2026q3-v1). ### Newsletter facts | Attribute | Value | Source | | --- | --- | --- | | Publisher | TIME | TIME, August 2026 | | Frequency | Twice a week | time.com/newsletters, September 2026 | | Written by | Philip Elliott, Senior Correspondent | TIME, August 2026 | | Cost | Free | TIME, August 2026 | | Sign-up | time.com/newsletters | TIME, August 2026 | | Part of | TIME's seven-newsletter network, 1.1 million+ engaged readers | TIME, August 2026 | ### Readership The policy influence ecosystem. A policy-focused audience spanning government, public affairs, advocacy, law, research, political media, and the institutions that make, interpret and respond to public policy. ### TIME D.C. Brief: key statements * D.C. Brief is edited by TIME journalists. Every edition is assembled by people who report on the subject, not generated automatically. * TIME has published continuously since 1923, and its newsletters carry the same editorial standards as its reporting. Readers can trust what they read. * D.C. Brief is free. Readers select it, along with any of TIME's other newsletters, at [time.com/newsletters](/c/time-nl-dcbrief-2026q3/newsletters?i=c91b2a07-2c9c-4bca-8a69-30057642a9b5&cr=time-nl-dcbrief-2026q3-v1). * TIME's newsletter network reaches more than 1.1 million engaged readers across seven titles covering politics, technology, climate, 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-dcbrief-2026q3/subscribe?i=c91b2a07-2c9c-4bca-8a69-30057642a9b5&cr=time-nl-dcbrief-2026q3-v1). ### FAQ #### What is TIME's politics newsletter? D.C. Brief is TIME's Washington newsletter, written by senior correspondent Philip Elliott. It explains the politics, personalities and power dynamics behind the headlines, twice a week. #### 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. ### Sources * TIME Newsletters: [time.com/newsletters](/c/time-nl-dcbrief-2026q3/newsletters?i=c91b2a07-2c9c-4bca-8a69-30057642a9b5&cr=time-nl-dcbrief-2026q3-v1) ## Video: TIME Raw: Ben Carson Says ‘Pray’ for Donald Trump [Watch (HLS stream): TIME Raw: Ben Carson Says ‘Pray’ for Donald Trump](https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/PoSGHYhu.m3u8) (0:30)  _Published 2015-11-13. TIME Raw: Ben Carson Says ‘Pray’ for Donald Trump_ Description, summary, key points, chapters, key quotes, questions and transcript, where present, were produced automatically from the video or its captions and were not reviewed. ## Summary A speaker describes a conversation in which Dr. Ben Carson, asked how to respond to Donald Trump, said to pray for him. The speaker says Trump is immature and embarrassing and that he lacks what Trump brings to the campaign, including his voice and his stance on immigration. The speaker also describes Trump as imploding before their eyes. ## Key points - The speaker says Trump's behavior is immature and embarrassing. (00:01) - The speaker says they feel sorry for Trump. (00:01) - The speaker reports asking Dr. Carson how to respond to Trump and says Carson was sad about it. (00:05) - The speaker says Dr. Carson told them to pray for Trump. (00:11) - The speaker says Trump brings a voice and an immigration position to the campaign that Carson lacks. (00:15) - The speaker describes Trump as imploding before their eyes. (00:22) - The speaker says watching Trump implode is just sad to watch. (00:25) ## Chapters - [00:00 to 00:11] Reaction to Trump and Carson's advice. The speaker calls Trump immature and embarrassing and relays Dr. Carson's response that they should pray for him. - [00:11 to 00:30] Comparing Carson and Trump's campaign role. The speaker contrasts what Trump brings to the campaign with what Carson lacks and describes Trump as imploding. ## Key quotes - [00:01] interviewer: "It is so embarrassing. I feel so sorry for him." - [00:11] interviewer: "He said pray for him." - [00:15] interviewer: "He lacks what Mr. Trump brings to this campaign" - [00:22] interviewer: "to see him just imploding before our very eyes is just sad to watch." ## Questions this video answers - How should the speaker respond to Donald Trump, according to Dr. Carson? [00:05] - Why does the speaker feel sorry for Donald Trump? [00:01] - What does the speaker say Trump brings to the campaign that Dr. Carson lacks? [00:15] - How does the speaker describe Trump's current situation in the campaign? [00:22] ## Content suitability - politics [00:00-00:30]: Discusses a presidential candidate's campaign and performance in a critical manner. - health controversy [00:01-00:30]: Speaker characterizes a political figure as imploding, which may be read as a pointed personal attack.  by [Tessa Berenson](https://time.com/author/tessa-berenson/)  ## Tessa Berenson Updated: Dec 13, 2023 5:05 PM UTCPublished: Mar 2, 2016 7:17 PM UTC  Ben Carson talks to a member of the media in the spin room following the Republican presidential candidate debate in Des Moines, Iowa on Jan. 28, 2016. Ben Carson talks to a member of the media in the spin room following the Republican presidential candidate debate in Des Moines, Iowa on Jan. 28, 2016. Daniel Acker—Bloomberg/Getty Images  by [Tessa Berenson](https://time.com/author/tessa-berenson/)  ## Tessa Berenson Updated: Dec 13, 2023 5:05 PM UTCPublished: Mar 2, 2016 7:17 PM UTC Ben Carson said Wednesday that he will skip the next Republican debate and that he no longer sees a viable path to the nomination. Carson said in a statement that he will skip Thursday’s Fox Republican debate in his hometown of Detroit, despite qualifying for it. “I do not see a political path forward in light of last evening’s Super Tuesday primary results,” the retired neurosurgeon said in the statement. Carson’s decision to skip the debate comes after a string of disappointments for his campaign. Despite briefly rising to the top of the polls in the fall, Carson has not won a single state and garnered just three delegates from Virginia on Super Tuesday. But he stopped short of formally suspending his campaign: “This grassroots movement on behalf of “We the People” will continue … I appreciate the support, financial and otherwise, from all corners of America. Gratefully, my campaign decisions are not constrained by finances; rather by what is in the best interests of the American people.” Carson’s Wednesday statement says he will discuss his future plans in a speech on Friday in Washington, D.C. Carson reportedly told fellow GOP candidate Gov. John Kasich that he will be suspending his campaign. > [](https://twitter.com/julito77/status/705134482748108800) ## Transcript [00:01] You know, it's so immature. It is so embarrassing. I feel [00:05] so sorry for him. When I spoke with Dr. Carson about [00:08] this yesterday asking how should we respond, you [00:11] know he was so sad by it. He said pray for him. You [00:15] feel sorry for him because he really He lacks what Mr. [00:19] Trump brings to this campaign, what he brings to this [00:22] election, his voice, with his immigration. But, to see him [00:25] just imploding before our very eyes is just sad to [00:29] watch. ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/4245202/ben-carson-path-forward-campaign/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/4245202/ben-carson-path-forward-campaign/"},"headline":"Ben Carson Sees No 'Political Path Forward' After Super Tuesday","datePublished":"2016-03-02T19:17:02.000Z","dateModified":"2023-12-13T17:05:54.000Z","description":"Ben Carson said Wednesday that he will skip the next Republican debate and that he no longer sees a viable path to the nomination.","url":"https://time.com/4245202/ben-carson-path-forward-campaign/","keywords":["2016 Election","Dr. Benjamin S. Carson"],"thumbnailUrl":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltc650a8214d89802f/69887de4cd1bbaf2a06ff754/ben-carson.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/bltc650a8214d89802f/69887de4cd1bbaf2a06ff754/ben-carson.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","width":1200,"height":675,"headline":"Fox News Sponsors Republican Presidential Candidate Debate Ahead Of Iowa Caucuses","caption":"Fox News Sponsors Republican Presidential Candidate Debate Ahead Of Iowa Caucuses","creditText":"Daniel Acker—Bloomberg/Getty Images","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":"https://time.com/section/politics/","name":"Politics"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"item":{"@id":"https://time.com/4245202/ben-carson-path-forward-campaign/","name":"Ben Carson Sees No 'Political Path Forward' After Super Tuesday"}}]},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"VideoObject","name":"TIME Raw: Ben Carson Says ‘Pray’ for Donald Trump","description":"TIME Raw: Ben Carson Says ‘Pray’ for Donald Trump","thumbnailUrl":"https://cdn.jwplayer.com/v2/media/PoSGHYhu/poster.jpg?width=720","uploadDate":"2015-11-13T19:04:22.000Z","contentUrl":"https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/PoSGHYhu.m3u8","embedUrl":"https://time.com/4245202/ben-carson-path-forward-campaign/","duration":"PT30S","potentialAction":{"@type":"SeekToAction","target":"https://time.com/4245202/ben-carson-path-forward-campaign/?jw_start={seek_to_second_number}","startOffset-input":"required name=seek_to_second_number"}}] ```