Republican presidential candidate Dr. Ben Carson said Friday that this week's mass shooting in Southern California should end the debate over whether Syrian refugees can safely be screened.
The retired neurosurgeon told a pro-business group made of lawmakers from across the nation that if it turns out the woman involved was fully vetted by federal officials and cleared to enter the U.S. it should help end the refugee debate.
Carson, a political newcomer who has cast himself as an outsider, made his comments to the American Legislative Exchange Council as he tries to burnish his foreign policy credentials amid slipping national poll numbers.
Carson's speech also touched on his personal narrative of growing up in a rough neighborhood before making good, along with a defense of police officers he says have gotten "a bad rap," a pitch for smaller government and a proposal for a flat tax for all income levels.
