Republican presidential dandidate Ben Carson insinuated that President Barack Obama may not fully understand the experience of black Americans, noting that Obama was "raised white" outside the United States.
While speaking to Politico's Glenn Thrush on the Off Message podcast that aired Tuesday, Carson was asked about his feelings regarding the historic moment in 2008 when the nation's first black president was elected. He was fairly noncommittal.
"I mean, like most Americans, I was proud that we broke the color barrier when he was elected, but I also recognize that his experience and my experience are night-and-day different. He didn't grow up like I grew up, by any stretch of the imagination," Carson told Thrush.
"He's an 'African' American. He was, you know, raised white. Many of his formative years were spent in Indonesia. So, for him to, you know, claim that, you know, he identifies with the experience of black Americans, I think, is a bit of a stretch," the former neurosugeon added.
Read the full transcript and listen to the podcast at Politico.