Ben Carson broke his silence around rumors of him joining the second Trump administration as the U.S. surgeon general on Sunday, but noted that he plans to speak with President-elect Donald Trump soon.
Carson, who served as the secretary of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) from 2017 to 2021 during the first Trump administration, dispelled the false reports in an X post on Sunday.
“I am excited to speak with President Trump about how I will continue to advance the America First agenda, and I am meeting with him in the near future,” the retired neurosurgeon wrote.
“However, contrary to reports, I will not be serving as the Surgeon General.”
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Former HUD Secretary Dr. Ben Carson speaks with Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump at the Republican National Convention on July 16, 2024, in Milwaukee. (Leon Neal/Getty Images)
Carson has been a vocal critic of the Biden administration and a staunch supporter of Trump. After the Republican leader won the Nov. 5 election in a landslide victory, Carson shared his congratulations.
“Congratulations to my good friend and the next President of the United States, @realdonaldtrump!!” Carson’s post reads. “As I said earlier today, God is not done with our country. Let’s get to work.”
The U.S. surgeon general is not a Cabinet-level position but is still a high-ranking role that serves as the head of the U.S. Public Health Service Commissioned Corps. The position is within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).
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Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump and former HUD Secretary Ben Carson (Scott Olson via Getty Images/File)
“The U.S. Surgeon General is the Nation’s Doctor, providing Americans with the best scientific information available on how to improve their health and reduce the risk of illness and injury,” the HHS’s website explains. “The Surgeon General oversees the U.S. Public Health Service (USPHS) Commissioned Corps, an elite group of over 6,000 uniformed officers who are public health professionals.”
Carson’s comments come as several positions in Trump’s incoming Cabinet are still up for grabs, including secretary of transportation, secretary of commerce and secretary of the treasury.
Trump also has yet to announce his picks for HUD secretary, secretary of agriculture and secretary of education.
President Trump is shown during a Cabinet meeting along with HUD Secretary Ben Carson at the White House on Nov. 19, 2019. (MANDEL NGAN/AFP via Getty Images)
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Trump most recently announced on Saturday that Liberty Energy CEO Chris Wright will join his Cabinet as secretary of energy. He called Wright “a leading technologist and entrepreneur in energy.”