Yesterday saw potential presidential aspirant Ben Carson walking back comments about sexuality that he had made only that morning.
Wednesday morning, Carson explained on CNN’s New Day that he knew being gay was “absolutely” a choice “[b]ecause a lot of people who go into prison go into prison straight, and when they come out, they’re gay.” (That assertion dings “false” on PolitiFact’s Truth-o-Meter, by the way.)
Later that evening, Carson issued a statement to CNN, in which he wrote:
“I do not pretend to know how every individual came to their sexual orientation. I regret that my words to express that concept were hurtful and divisive. For that I apologize unreservedly to all that were offended.”
Notably not apologizing for the completely ignorant and ridiculously incorrect meaning and intent of his words. Just doesnt want to offend anyone with his raging homophobia. Nice
Apparently brilliance and ignorance aren’t mutually exclusive.