Chris Keane/Reuters
Republican presidential candidate Ben Carson accused Ted Cruz’s campaign aides of spreading a false Monday evening rumor that the neurosurgeon planned to back out of the race. Taking Carson’s travel plans as a sign he would drop out, Cruz staffer Spence Rogers apparently sent precinct captains an email suggesting the end was nigh. As it turns out, Carson was simply returning home to Florida to do laundry.
Appearing on Fox News Tuesday morning, Carson said Cruz should fire members of his team for the mistake. “This is really a dirty trick,” the candidate said. “This makes me more determined than ever to keep going.” He added, “If he did know about it, he needs to come out and admit what he did.”
Cruz later issued an apology while maintaining that his grassroots campaign's use of what it thought was breaking news constituted "fair game."
Carson's communications manager Larry Ross told The Daily Beast that Carson had accepted the apology but that Cruz's behavior shows that Cruz "has become another D.C. politician."
Ross also clarified that part of the reason why Carson is heading home to Florida is to simply sleep in his own bed for a change. "Donald Trump as I understand it goes home every night," he added. "We’re talking about being home less than 15, 16 hours." Carson plans to have events in New Hampshire on Friday according to his campaign.