Top Ben Carson campaign staffers resign

Communications director Doug Watts announced his and campaign manager Barry Bennett’s resignations effective immediately in a statement, saying they respect the retired neurosurgeon and have enjoyed helping him reach “top tier status” in the crowded Republican field.

Williams disputes this. In a brief phone conversation with NBC News on Thursday, he said he knew Bennett and Watts “had issues with me” but held no ill will towards them, and that he hadn’t orchestrated the staffing changes.

Ben Carson is the only true Christian in the Republican race for president, his adviser Armstrong Williams said Thursday on CNN.

Ben Carson just lost three of his top staffers, the Washington Post’s Robert Costa and Dave Weigel report, calling it a “delayed campaign shake-up”. He went on a book tour in October, in the midst of his campaign, that included stops in states like Nebraska, instead of concentrating on making appearances in Iowa and New Hampshire.

Williams had arranged that interview without Bennett’s knowledge, and Bennett says that was evidence that Williams would continue to undermine the campaign’s leadership team.

“It started out like we always start out, ‘Good morning, how are you? Dr. Carson has expressed a little frustration here and there”. Williams suggested that the recent focus on terrorism and national security has hurt Carson.

“There’s enough pain today, enough feelings that have been damaged in some ways”, Williams said.

Carson said the move was needed to jumpstart his campaign. Carson raised another ton of money this quarter, leading all Republican candidates with $23 million taken in.

His campaign announced Bob Dees, a retired Army major general, would be campaign chairman while Ed Brookover, formerly a senior strategist, would serve as campaign manager.

“All along, I’ve never really thought this was a serious presidential campaign in that it is actually operating and doing things to get elected”, Robinson said.

Williams said Carson has had a “burden” lifted from him with Thursday’s announcement.

The Carson campaign later in the day said the staff changes were “enhancements”. Carson, in interviews before Christmas, was hinting in that he’d desired to alter his marketing crusade operation for a similar reason candidates frequently alter employees: he was falling within the polls.