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.
-
See the bright lights from these 7 big-city hotels
The Week Recommends Immerse yourself in culture, history and nightlife
-
Scientists want to regrow human limbs. Salamanders could lead the way.
Under the radar Humans may already have the genetic mechanism necessary
-
Sudoku medium: June 25, 2025
The Week's daily medium sudoku puzzle
-
Supreme Court clears third-country deportations
Speed Read The court allowed Trump to temporarily resume deporting migrants to countries they aren't from
-
Judges order release of 2 high-profile migrants
Speed Read Kilmar Ábrego García is back in the US and Mahmoud Khalil is allowed to go home — for now
-
US assessing bomb damage to Iran nuclear sites
Speed Read Trump claims this weekend's US bombing obliterated Tehran's nuclear program, while JD Vance insists the US is 'not at war with Iran'
-
Trump's LA deployment in limbo after court rulings
Speed Read Judge Breyer ruled that Trump's National Guard deployment to Los Angeles was an 'illegal' overreach. But a federal appellate court halted the ruling.
-
Marines, National Guard in LA can detain Americans
speed read The troops have been authorized to detain anyone who interferes with immigration raids
-
Trump vows 'very big force' against parade protesters
Speed Read The parade, which will shut down much of the capital, will celebrate the US Army's 250th anniversary and Trump's 79th birthday
-
Smithsonian asserts its autonomy from Trump
speed read The DC institution defied Trump's firing of National Portrait Gallery Director Kim Sajet
-
Trump sends Marines to LA, backs Newsom arrest
speed read California Gov. Gavin Newsom is filing lawsuits in response to Trump's escalation of the federal response to ICE protests