Ben Carson Isn't Quitting His Campaign — He's Just Going To Florida To Do Laundry

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Ben Carson's leaving the campaign trail — to get fresh clothes.

Carson's business manager and adviser Armstrong Williams told BuzzFeed News on Monday night that the neurosurgeon was leaving Iowa because of a scheduled trip back home to Florida to rest after weeks on the campaign trail.

"You know what it’s like being on the road campaigning for weeks?” Williams said in a phone interview, "Don't you need to refresh sometimes?" Williams also asked if the reporters sometimes needed to get themselves fresh clothes.

There have been conflicting reports over past hours about why Carson — whose stock has plummeted in recent months as a candidate, and whose campaign has burned through millions of dollars as top officials have quit — was leaving Iowa.

Some reported that Carson was going home to rest and would not travel to New Hampshire and South Carolina, while others suggested he was going home to beat a storm and would maintain his campaign schedule.

Carson skipped a radio interview this afternoon, as well, hours before the start of the caucuses. Prominent conservative radio host Simon Conway told BuzzFeed News that Carson had skipped the interview without giving the show any notice. Williams said that Carson's schedule "changes on a dime. Constantly."

"That's how this business works," he said.

The Simon Conway Show hosted other Republican candidates this afternoon, including Donald Trump, Ted Cruz, Rand Paul, Marco Rubio, and Rick Santorum. Conway said he was not at all angry with Dr. Carson, but felt it was a missed opportunity for the candidate.

"They had a chance to talk to voters across the state on their way to caucus," he said. "For whatever reason, they blew it off."

Williams told BuzzFeed News that Carson's schedule will not change, and claimed that the trip home was always planned. He emphasized that Carson was "absolutely not" dropping out of the presidential race. "Are you kidding me?" he said to the question.

Williams further argued that reports and rumors that Carson had changed his schedule or was behaving unusually were being fueled by supporters of rival candidates Ted Cruz and Rand Paul.

In a statement, a campaign spokesman said that, "After spending 18 consecutive days on the campaign trail, Dr. Carson needs to go home and get a fresh set of clothes. He will be departing Des Moines later tonight to avoid the snow storm and will be back on the trail Wednesday. We look forward to tonight's caucus results and to meaningful debates in New Hampshire and South Carolina."

Source BuzzFeed - Politics http://ift.tt/1PRbimY