SEAN HANNITY (HOST): Let's talk about the interview and what you said specifically about a Muslim president. Do you stand by the comments?
BEN CARSON: Absolutely, I stand by the comments. You know, what we have to do is we have to recognize that this is America, and we have a Constitution. And we do not put people at the leadership of our country whose faith might interfere with them carrying out the duties of the Constitution. So if, for instance, you believe in a theocracy, I don't care if you're a Christian, if you're a Christian and you're running for president and you want to make this into a theocracy, I'm not going to support you. I'm not going to advocate you being the president.
HANNITY: I spoke with Dr. Zuhdi Jasser today, he's a moderate Muslim, and I asked if he could name a single Muslims country that treats women the way we treat women, or minorities the way we treat minorities in this country. He couldn't name a single one. Was that what you were thinking in your mind when you were answering the question, in other words, the way Muslim theocracies currently operate?
CARSON: That's correct. I mean, they currently do not tend to operate the same way that our system does. Now, if someone has a Muslim background and they're willing to reject those tenetsand to accept the way of life that we have, and clearly will swear to place our Constitution above their religion, then, of course, they will be considered infidels and heretics, but at least I would then be quite willing to support them.
HANNITY: All right, so what I hear in your statement there is you kind of are tempering those remarks. For example, if there was a moderate Muslim that denounced Sharia, that denounced radicalIslamists, that denounced quotes in the Koran about killing the infidels or not taking Christians and Jews for your friends, that denounced the controversial life of Mohammed, you would be open to that Muslim running for president?
CARSON: Of course.
HANNITY: OK. But, well, then so basically the controversy is over in that sense. Did you mean to say radical Islamist or one that supports a form of government as is practiced in Muslim countries, is that more what you meant to say?
CARSON: Well, you know, that was implied in the comment, because I prefaced that by saying I don't care what religion or faith someone belongs to if they're willing to subjugate that to the American way and to our Constitution, then I have no problem with it. That's what I said before that.
