Ben Carson's former campaign manager thinks Donald Trump is a lock for the GOP nomination


Ben Carson's campaign manager, Barry Bennett, quit Carson's campaign on the last day of 2015, citing problems with another adviser. No longer officially tied to Carson, Bennett confessed on Wednesday that he could hardly imagine a situation in which Donald Trump did not end up with the Republican nomination.
"By the middle of March, this thing could be well over. At this point, it's getting harder and harder to see how Donald Trump isn't our nominee," Bennett said on CNN. "I'm a realist and I believe in data, I believe in polls, and I have not seen a plan out there that is going to take down Donald Trump quite yet."
When CNN's Kate Bolduan asked who impressed Bennett the most of all the candidates, Bennett said you had to look at the rallies: "Donald Trump is shoving ten, twelve thousand people at rallies and a lot of these guys are having five or six people show up at their events in Iowa. There's just not a comparison. The establishment can fret about it all they want, but this is the new reality," Bennett said.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
But when it comes to who's the best man for the job, Bennett would only say his former employer "has the best head and the best heart."
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Jeva Lange was the executive editor at TheWeek.com. She formerly served as The Week's deputy editor and culture critic. She is also a contributor to Screen Slate, and her writing has appeared in The New York Daily News, The Awl, Vice, and Gothamist, among other publications. Jeva lives in New York City. Follow her on Twitter.
-
August 2 editorial cartoons
Cartoons Saturday’s political cartoons include a tariff self-own, rough times at the Trump golf course, and more
-
5 inexcusably hilarious cartoons about Ghislaine Maxwell angling for a pardon
Cartoons Artists take on the circle of life, Ghislaine's Island, and more
-
Ozzy Osbourne obituary: heavy metal wildman and lovable reality TV dad
In the Spotlight For Osbourne, metal was 'not the music of hell but rather the music of Earth, not a fantasy but a survival guide'
-
Trump revives K-12 Presidential Fitness Test
Speed Read The Obama administration phased the test out in 2012, replacing it with a program focused on overall health rather than standardized benchmarks
-
El Salvador scraps term limits, boosting Nayib Bukele
Speed Read New constitutional changes will allow presidents to seek reelection an indefinite number of times
-
Trump assigns tariffs, delays all except on Canada
Speed Read A 35% tariff on many Canadian goods has gone into effect
-
Harris rules out run for California governor
Speed Read The 2024 Democratic presidential nominee ended months of speculation about her plans for the contest
-
Trump sets new tariff rates as deadline nears
Speed Read New tariff rates for South Korea, Brazil and India announced
-
Ghislaine Maxwell: angling for a Trump pardon
Talking Point Convicted sex trafficker's testimony could shed new light on president's links to Jeffrey Epstein
-
Senate confirms Trump loyalist Bove to top court
Speed Read The president's former criminal defense lawyer was narrowly approved to earn a lifetime seat
-
Ghislaine Maxwell offers testimony for immunity
Speed Read The convicted sex trafficker offered to testify to Congress about her relationship with late boyfriend Jeffrey Epstein