Ben Carson refers to slaves as ‘immigrants’ in talk to HUD employees

U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development Secretary Ben Carson delivered his first speech to HUD employees Monday, prompting a quick response from the internet from one phrase-gone-wrong.

“Look at the determination in their eyes: people who worked not five days a week but six or seven days a week”. “They knew exactly what I was saying”. The people who asked very intelligent questions and got good answers? That’s what America is about. “And this is our opportunity to enhance that dream”, he added.

Enslaved Africans were, of course, not immigrants, and were transported in the cramped, disease-infested holds of ships while shackled stationary as property of “new world” and European corporations. “This is our opportunity to enhance their dream”.

In a statement issued Monday night on his Facebook page, Carson said: “The slave narrative and immigrant narrative are two entirely different experiences”.

– Young Salad (@houstonbred) March 6, 2017Ben Carson’s remarks to HUD employees, just tweeted by @BraddJaffy, are in the running for wildest thing ever said by any Trump acolyte.

Critics quickly decried the comment. In the past, he’s compared both Obamacare and abortion to slavery.

‘I think the likelihood of Hitler being able to accomplish his goals would have been greatly diminished if the people had been armed, ‘ Carson told CNN.

Carson’s department denied he meant to liken slavery to unforced immigration. Carson spoke about the country’s work ethic, really emphasizing the need to return to the “can do” attitude of America’s past. “It was about control”.

This isn’t the first time Carson has made spurious or inflammatory remarks about slavery.

One woman who called into the show said she disagreed with Carson, arguing, “you can’t be an immigrant if you’re brought over here in chains”, the magazine said.