Ben Carson really was asked to be House Speaker in 2014

Turns out, there was another option on the table for former House Speaker John Boehner's replacement: Ben Carson. The retired neurosurgeon and Republican presidential candidate told The Hill that in 2014, House conservatives approached him about the possibility of running, since there's no rule that the House speaker must be a member of the House.

"They were looking for an alternative, they were looking for someone strong and courageous who might really be able to add some spine and some backbone," Carson said, noting that he met with some House Republicans about the role. "I was very flattered that there were several members that thought I'd fit the bill very well, but I think it played out correctly the way that it did."

Instead, Carson decided to pursue his presidential dreams, which, he says, being speaker would have shattered. "It would have pretty much ruined my presidential bid," he told The Hill. "It would have been very difficult to do my job as the speaker of the House while running for president. You've seen how difficult a time Sen. Rubio is having fulfilling his senatorial obligations. The speaker of the House has even more obligations."

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Rep. Matt Salmon (R-Ariz.) confirmed Carson's story to The Hill and said he and two others approached Carson in one of House conservatives' many attempts to oust Boehner, who eventually retired in October and was replaced by Rep. Paul Ryan (R-Wis.) following a tumultuous search. Carson says the "jury is still out" on how well Ryan is doing on the job, but he says he's "very optimistic still."