Ben Carson Opens Up about Declining Trump Cabinet Post

Ben Carson, a staunch supporter of President-elect Donald Trump,  is opening up about his decision to take his name off the list for serving as a possible cabinet member in The White House.

The news may come as a surprise to many after Carson was seen campaigning for Trump at events and appearing on numerous television outlets speaking up for him. 

"The way I'm leaning is to work from the outside and not from the inside," Carson said in a Nov. 15 interview with The Washington Post. "I want to have the freedom to work on many issues and not be pigeonholed into one particular area." 

"I've said that if it came to a point where he absolutely needs me, I'd reconsider. But I don't think that's the situation with these positions," he said. "My view is that if some people and the media are going to hate him, then he's going to need allies on the outside to be there, to be there to move the country forward. I don't care about a position.'

Carson calls himself a "fish out of water" when it comes to being a federal bureaucrat. 

According to Carson, he was offered a position but did not elaborate on what he would have done under Trump's lead. He did say that he will continue public speaking as well as doing media appearances and visiting with Trump. 

Carson told The Washington Post that Trump is 'right around the corner from where he is,' referring to his Mar-a-Lago estate in Palm Beach, Florida. 

According to his business manager, Armstrong Williams, this decision was not easy for Carson. 

"Trump is a brother to Dr. Carson and they've formed a formidable bond. I've never seen Dr. Carson agonize so much over something. But it's what's best for everyone," Williams said.  

Carson praised Trump's chief strategist, Stephen Bannon, telling The Washington Post he is a "very smart and wise counselor" and that "he's the big picture person." 

Williams said that Carson will continue to work with Trump during the transition and share policy and personnel suggestions.