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Ben Carson: My mother "would have taken a gun" and shot "dishonest reporters"

Ben Carson joked Wednesday that if his mother did not have Alzheimer's disease, she would have shot "dishonest reporters."

In an interview on CBS Radio's "Brown and Scoop" program, the former 2016 GOP presidential candidate was asked what his mother would have thought if she were alive to see him run for the White House.

Carson quickly corrected the host and said, "My mother is still alive, by the way."

"She has Alzheimer's. She's not really cognizant of that, which is a good thing because my mother is really a fighter. She probably would have taken a gun and gone out and shot some of the dishonest reporters," Carson said, laughing.

The retired neurosurgeon reiterated his support for Donald Trump during the interview and was asked what makes Trump so smart and such a genius.

"He has a very good understanding of business, of business principles and that seems to be something that has been lacking in our leadership for many years. Not just the current administration, but going back many, many administrations. Just making horrible deals for the American people," Carson said.

Asked if he sees himself serving in a Trump cabinet, Carson suggested it would be unlikely.

"I get asked that a lot, and I don't particularly want a government job," he said. "I feel I can be much more effective from outside the government because you don't have nearly as many constraints on you and we have got. Still, regardless of who wins -- a lot of work to be done, particularly in terms of education, in terms of health care, and in terms of trying to heal some of the wounds."

Carson dropped out of the presidential race in early March.

CBS News' Steven Portnoy contributed to this report.

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