Appearing on “The View” Tuesday, Dr. Ben Carson explained why he believes the current welfare system in the United States is not doing the poor any favors. His insightful response actually moved actor Terry Crews to join the audience in applauding the retired neurosurgeon.
(YouTube/ABC)
(YouTube/ABC)
“When you rob someone of their incentive to go out there and improve themselves, you are not doing them any favors,” Carson said. “When you take somebody and pat them on the head and say, ‘There there, you poor little thing… Let me give you housing subsidies, let me give you free health care because you can’t do that.’”
“What would be much more empowering is to use our intellect and our resources to give those people a way up and out,” he concluded.
“I agree,” Crews responded, clapping along with the audience.
Watch Carson’s entire appearance on “The View” below (the discussion on welfare starts at around 6:50):
Co-host Whoopi Goldberg revealed that she was once a “welfare mother” and argued that very few people actually want to be on welfare and would rather work.
“I don’t feel bad about being a welfare mother because I contribute as an American,” she said. “Because the welfare system is so bizarre, you can’t work, they don’t allow you to work because they take the money from you. So if we fix the system so that it doesn’t hurt the people, maybe they’ll get better.”

When pressed about a possible presidential run in 2016, Carson said he doesn’t “desire” to run for president and hopes someone who “excites people” emerges.
“If that happens, then I won’t do it, but I have so many people asking me, and as a patriotic American, I certainly have to think about it,” he said.