[There was a video here]

Ben Carson’s tepid endorsement of Donald Trump is truly the gift that keeps on giving. Each time he appears on Trump’s behalf to argue the case for a Trump presidency, he drives the point home a little further—not even Trump’s official supporters can muster real enthusiasm for an orange, white and blue America.

So why did Carson decide to endorse Trump, beyond an apparent promise of a role in the Trump administration? Here are some reasons Dr. Carson has voluntarily given in public:

  • “You have to look at the good and the bad. There’s no perfect person.”
  • “He has some major defects, there’s no question about it.”
  • “Are there better people? Probably.”
  • “I didn’t see a path for Kasich, who I like, or for Rubio, who I like. As far as Cruz is concerned, I don’t think he’s going to be able to draw independents and Democrats unless he has some kind of miraculous change... Is there another scenario that I would have preferred? Yes, but that scenario isn’t available.”
  • “There is a humility issue there that could perhaps use some polishing.”
  • “Even if Donald Trump turns out not to be such a great president, which I don’t think is the case—I think he’s going to surround himself with really good people. But even if he didn’t, we’re only looking at four years.”
  • “He knows that [his Twitter usage is] a problem. So, you know, the first part of solving the problem is recognizing that it exists.”
  • “A lot of people have been charged with various things. That doesn’t necessarily mean that we need to demonize them. You’ve probably been charged with something too, maybe with a misdemeanor or something.”
  • “The sound has deteriorated to the point where I can’t hear you.”

So it’s that role in Trump’s administration.