Cuts off

Carson staffer cuts off CNN interview

By Hadas Gold

A staffer for Dr. Ben Carson cut off an interview with CNN's Jake Tapper as Tapper was pressing the GOP presidential candidate about his previous statements that a Muslim would need to reject the tenets of Islam in order to become president.

Tapper was in the middle of an extended back and forth with Carson over the subject, when Tapper said that as an African-American and a member of the Seventh-day Adventist Church, Carson knows "what it is like for people to make false assumptions about you. And you seem to be doing the same thing with Muslims."

"You're assuming that Muslim Americans put their religion ahead of the country," Tapper replied as Carson asked what false assumptions Tapper thought he was making.

"I'm assuming that if you accept all the tenets of Islam that you would have a very difficult time abiding under the Constitution of the United States," Carson said.

At that point, Armstrong Williams, Carson's business manager said off-camera "This interview is over."

Tapper said "OK," thanked Carson and ended the interview.

According to a source at CNN, the interview (taped Friday) had been slated to last 15 minutes, and Williams ended the interview at 20 minutes. After the interview ended, the CNN source said Carson thanked Tapper for a "spirited debate" and the candidate and his team left the room.

Carson campaign spokesman Doug Watts declined to comment.