Ben Carson hopes candidates speak candidly during debate, giving Americans a clear contrast

Secretary of Housing and Urban Development Dr. Ben Carson during an interview on "The Water Cooler" said that he hopes President Trump and former Vice President Joe Biden will speak candidly during their first presidential debate Tuesday, and provide the American electorate with a clear contrast between their views.

"You know, are we looking at a system that, you know, is adherent to our Constitution, believes in the integrity of our Constitution, believes that the country is of, for and by the people?" he asked. "Or do we want a system that perhaps thinks the government is the be all and end all and that people are there to kinda serve the government?" 

Carson, a former neurosurgeon who mounted an unsuccessful 2016 bid for the Republican presidential nomination, said that the media fails to stick to facts and instead pushes an agenda.

"But you know the reason that the media is the only business protected by the Constitution is because they're supposed to disseminate information in an unbiased way to the people so the people can make reasonable choices," he said. "But when they have a stake in it and they decide they need to move people in this direction or this direction it really distorts the original plan that our founders had."

He addressed the "phobia" that he said some propagate regarding religion.

"We need to get rid of this phobia that many people are pushing about religion," he said. "You know, godly principles—loving your fellow man, caring about your neighbor, caring about people who are underserved, developing your God-given talents so that you can be helpful to others, having values and principles that govern your life—how is that a bad thing?" 

Carson noted that before the existence of the government department he now oversees, religious communities dealt with issues such as homelessness and dependency.

"And who better to do it because they're right there on the ground with these individuals and they develop relationship with people," he said. "It's relationships that get people to climb those ladders. It's relationships that get people to realize their potential. It's relationships that get people to change bad habits that lead to homelessness."