President-elect Donald Trump has chosen retired neurosurgeon and former political rival Ben Carson to lead the Department of Housing and Urban Development.
"Ben Carson has a brilliant mind and is passionate about strengthening communities and families within those communities," Trump said in a statement released Monday. "We have talked at length about my urban renewal agenda and our message of economic revival, very much including our inner cities."
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In November, Carson turned down Trump's offer of the role of Secretary of Health and Human Services. Carson said at the time that he would only serve the Trump administration as an unofficial advisor.
"I am honored to accept the opportunity to serve our country in the Trump administration," Carson said after the appointment as HUD secretary. "I feel that I can make a significant contribution particularly by strengthening communities that are most in need."
Carson, a former director of pediatric neurosurgery at Johns Hopkins University, is the first African-American appointed to the president-elect's cabinet.
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In 2015, the then GOP presidential candidate criticized President Barack Obama's adoption of a fair housing rule for HUD that uses data to enforce anti-discrimination laws. Carson said the government-engineered attempts to legislate racial equality create consequences that make matters worse, according to Politico.
While Carson has little experience in housing or management, he told Fox News that his childhood in Detroit and his experience treating inner-city patients were qualifications for the job.
Twitter: @SusanJMorse