TIMELINE: How Cruz's Camp Spun A Ben Carson Hoax During The Iowa Caucuses

TPM ^ | February 3, 2016, 2:12 PM EST | Katherine Krueger

[Red Steel]

Dr. Ben Carson, once a presidential contender leading the GOP polls, found himself swatting away rumors that he planned to drop out of the race in the heat of the Iowa caucuses Monday night.

The rumor was sourced to a single CNN report about Carson's plans to travel home to Florida after the Iowa caucuses - rather than directly to New Hampshire, as is typical - and was spread by Sen. Ted Cruz's (R-TX) campaign. It sparked a full-blown scandal as Carson claimed the Cruz camp's tactics hurt his performance in the caucuses and second-place finisher Donald Trump took up Carson's cause, calling for the election results to thrown out completely over Cruz's "fraud."

Here's a look at how the events unfolded on the night of the Iowa caucuses and the ensuing days (all times EST).

Caucus night

7:45 p.m.: CNN reports Carson is taking a break after Iowa

During CNN's wall-to-wall coverage of the Iowa caucuses, Dana Bash shared breaking news from reporter Chris Moody that Carson would return home to Florida after the contest.

“Ben Carson is going to go back to Florida, to his home, regardless of how he does tonight here in Iowa. He's going to go there for several days, and then afterwards, he's not going to go to South Carolina, he's not going to go to New Hampshire, he's going to come to Washington D.C., and he's going to do that because the National Prayer Breakfast is on Thursday," she said.

After the #IAcaucus, @RealBenCarson plans to take a break from campaigning https://t.co/2sMsS7rlRk https://t.co/dVGpik7gNN

- CNN (@CNN) February 2, 2016

CNN's Jake Tapper called the announcement from Carson "very unusual" and noted "almost every single candidate" would travel directly to New Hampshire after the caucuses.

"If you want to be President of the United States, you don't go home to Florida," Bash responded.

On Twitter, @TheLeadCNN told its 32,000 followers that Carson "will return to FL following #IAcaucus, will not go to either NH or SC." The account for CNN's politics section tweeted to 420,000 followers that the retired neurosurgeon "plans to take a break from campaigning."

7:50 p.m.: Carson camp clarifies he just has to go home for "fresh clothes"

Shortly before 8 p.m., a Carson spokesman tweeted the candidate was "not standing down" and was simply returning to Florida to "get fresh clothes" and dodge a winter storm in Iowa. The spokesman told TPM Carson would be in D.C. Wednesday and Thursday for a "campaign event," and then would continue on to New Hampshire.

The campaign also disputed rumors that Carson's trip to Florida was a mid-campaign vacation, which many read as a sign he would drop out.

8 p.m.: Cruz camp notifies supporters that Carson is dropping out

Just as the Iowa caucuses were beginning, some users of the Cruz campaign's official mobile app received a notification saying Carson was dropping out of the presidential race. The notification cited a report from CNN.

The alert said Carson "will stop campaigning after Iowa" and urged users to tell people at the caucuses “they should coalesce around the true conservative who will be in the race for the long haul: TED CRUZ!"

It also included a photo of a TV tuned to CNN, showing the network's ever-present "BREAKING NEWS" banner paired with the headline "Campaign: Carson To Take A Break After Iowa."

8:20 p.m.: Rep. Steve King feeds the rumor mill

Following the Cruz campaign's lead, Rep. Steve King (R-IA), who endorsed Cruz in November, tweeted: "Carson looks like he is out."

Carson looks like he is out. Iowans need to know before they vote. Most will go to Cruz, I hope. https://t.co/lW5Js50EMA

- Steve King (@SteveKingIA) February 2, 2016

He linked to a tweet from CNN reporter Chris Moody, which read Carson "won’t go to NH/SC, but instead will head home to Florida for some R&R. He'll be in DC Thursday for the National Prayer Breakfast."

10:50 p.m.: Carson alludes to unnamed rivals' "dirty tricks" after fourth-place finish

In his Iowa concession speech, which the retired neurosurgeon began before the race was called for Cruz, Carson reiterated that he wasn't "going anywhere." He also bemoaned "dirty tricks" employed in the caucuses, without assigning blame to any other campaign in particular.

The aftermath

Feb. 2: Cruz apologizes after Carson directly accuses him of playing "dirty tricks"

Carson fingered the Cruz campaign as the source of the rumors he was dropping out and said its shady tactics ruined his chances in Iowa during an interview with "Fox and Friends."

"At many of the precincts, the information was disseminated that I was suspending my campaign, that I had dropped out," he said. "And anybody who was planning to vote for me was wasting their vote and therefore they should reconsider."

Carson told Fox News that his wife, Candy, had to set the record straight at one precinct.

"She spoke at one of the caucus sites and before she got there one of the Cruz people had again disseminated that information to the crowd," Carson said. "One of the organizers told her 'I'm so glad you're here, so you could set the record straight.' And she did and we actually won in that precinct."

The Cruz campaign apologized for disseminating the misinformation later in the day, calling the messaging “a mistake from our end.” The campaign conceded in a statement to CNN that it should have followed up with a corrected report about Carson was staying in the race, but argued it was "fair game" for surrogates to disseminate the news that Carson was leaving the campaign trail when it first broke.

For his part, Cruz surrogate Steve King apologized to the Carson campaign for "any miscommunications" during the caucuses.

I respect Ben Carson & regret any miscommunications. Perhaps @RealBenCarson supporters r unaware of this CNN story. https://t.co/RgrljodXl1

- Steve King (@SteveKingIA) February 2, 2016

Feb. 3: Trump accuses Cruz of "fraud," calls for Iowa results to be "nullified"

In a string of tweets posted Wednesday morning, Donald Trump said the Iowa caucus results should be nullified or a new election should be held because of Cruz's alleged "fraud." In one quickly deleted tweet, he said Cruz "illegally stole" his win in Iowa.

The real estate mogul claimed "many people" voted for Cruz instead of Carson because of the campaign's alert that Carson was dropping out. He also criticized the Cruz campaign's "voter violation" mailers, which implied Iowa voters had broken the law.

[moehoward]

"I don’t understand. Where is the Rubio campaign’s tweet?"

Remarkably absent. Looking like that was another attempt by Cruz to direct attention (again) to someone else.

[moehoward]

The timeline is accurate. More on point the time spread is accurate.

[eartick]

Yeah and I guess you have heard that Dr. Carson's Campaign is out of money and will probably be folding pretty quickly now.

He probably knew this before the Iowa caucus and I would speculate was really considering dropping out until SOMEONE brought this to his attention.

NEXT up. An infusion into Dr. Carson's campaign war chest from a rich PAC.........

[Oldeconomybuyer]

Trump: Carson still suffers from ‘pathological disease’

http://www.cnn.com/2015/11/05/politics/ben-carson-donald-trump-tweet/

[Hostage]

They got the verification. They knowingly lied.

[Trumpinator]

Rubio camp also mailed out voter violation mailers.

But that isn't getting covered by the media either.

----

Let us be honest - Cruz and Rubio were using the same establishment GOP people who do these elections for the GOP all the time. This further confirms to me the GOP did all it could to pump up Cruz and Rubio in Iowa in the hopes Trump stumbles in NH support and then they can drop Cruz and pump Rubio up after that.

[Gil4]

Cruz is out. Just heard it on CNN. They said "Cruz" and "out" in the same paragraph. Actually they never said "out". See how this works.

Except the CNN tweet about Carson did say he was going home and he was skipping NH and SC, and when people heard the stuff about Carson, it sounded somewhere between plausible and inevitable (and closer to the latter.)

[SPRINK]

Your welcome!

And your points were spot on, especially your point......IF Trump had done this, instead of Cruz

We would NEVER hear the end of it......the MSM would be crowing and Trump would have been run out on a rail

He never catches a break anyway., anywhere.....
....EXCEPT from the citizens of this USA who see in him HOPE

The media and many here on FR have been non stop n ugliness!

I’m so thankful he LOVES our country and her people to keep going....

There is a fire and determination in him that doesn’t burn out......it only increases and strengthens regardless of insult, lie, accusation, etc

I would have given up a long time ago.

GOD BLESS DONALD TRUMP!

actually his supporters were spreading the same rumor...I don’t blame them....this is much ado about nothing

but we will look forward to you trashing Trump as a liar, cheater and voter fraud

[dynoman]

Not true - check out posts 50 and 56.

[Colofornian]

Pretty selective "outrage" on your part, eh, Dynoman.

You post the tweet @ post #56...but you haven't on this thread -- or any other you've posted on today or yesterday -- about this tweet re: the Rubio campaign. Why not? (If this is such a "moral indignation" issue to you?)

From Uh Oh, Was Marco Rubio Guilty In The Ben Carson Dropout Rumor?

Excerpt from this link: What has not been said much throughout the day is that Florida Senator Marco Rubio‘s campaign worked actively to spread the message that Carson was leaving the presidential race. These actions were reported on Twitter by Conrad Close who, according to his Twitter profile, is the managing editor of Outset Magazine.

[You can go to the link to see a snapshot of Close's actual tweet...it reads:

"Rubio campaign pushing the narrative hard that Carson is dropping out. Obviously looking to pick up votes."]

Per the link above: "Another interesting little tidbit about Close, that he shouts from the rooftops with his Twitter profile picture, is that he is Team Rubio with the statement below his picture, 'I’m voting for Marco Rubio.'

[So, it's not like Close was "anti-Rubio" & was attempting to sabotage him]

I call you & other FR posters out on this.

If you've ONLY targeted Cruz, who the Carson team went after ONLY a SINGLE Cruz staffer on this rumor...yet have ignored 100% Rubio, who Rush confirmed yesterday MULTIPLE staffers were involved in rumor-mongering...then it all comes across as crass exploitive targeted of THE front-runner...NOT as some moral issue sticking in your craw.

'Fess up.

[RedWhiteBlue]

Exactly. Nobody has come forward to say they were duped. Nobody.

[dynoman]

First it’s NOT about me personally, so don’t make it about me.

If Rubio caucused with the lie like Cruz then he’s obviously a gutter politician just like Cruz.

Which leaves Carson and Trump on the higher moral ground.

I think Trump was actually stunned to see what happened on caucus night. I know I was. I never thought Cruz would do that. I could see Rubio doing it but Ted lead the way. Obviously Ted’s NOT the “principled” conservative he was billed to be. That idea got puked out like a rotten hairball on caucus night. That dog don’t hunt no more.

[Duchess47]

I believe you are right that Trump was stunned, shocked at the dishonesty and corrupt politics of the Iowa caucus.

He has hit every one that hit him but has always stuck to the truth. He has run his campaign honestly and I don’t believe he expected Republicans, especially the Cruz camp, to behave like they did.

[bolobaby]

Yep.

Now, who knows what people were saying at the caucus sites, but who gives a damn? I can GUARANTEE that there were Trump AND Carson people at the caucus sites LYING about Cruz claiming he’s not a natural born citizen. A caucus is representative OF THE PEOPLE. Some of those people will be Cruz supporters, some will be Trump, some will be Carson, and almost all will present at least one verbal argument that is factually questionable.

[IMR 4350]

“And going home to get a change of clothes? Is Iowa or New Hampshire so rural that he can’t send staff or go himself to buy some more clothes?”

Wouldn’t even need to go to the expense of buying unless he travels with just the clothes he’s wearing.

1 hour cleaners are pretty much everywhere you go.

That’s how you know the change of clothes story was just a cover story for the real reason he was headed back to Florida.

He was headed back to Florida to contemplate whether or not he was going to continue because he knows he’s not going to win.

[georgiegirl]

I think Trump was actually stunned to see what happened on caucus night

He was probably thinking I thought real estate was dog eat dog. This was his very first election and his first taste of what politics is all about. All the more reason why we must elect a non-politician at this crucial time. Politicians have eaten this country alive, with great relish.

[Colofornian]

Which leaves Carson and Trump on the higher moral ground.

The Carson team is guilty of the same inconsistency: Here Rubio multiple staffers were spreading the same rumor, yet the Carson team has only gone after a single Cruz staffer...Why?

(Could it be because Cruz is THE front-runner...and Rubio isn't?)

As FREEPER Sprink posted on another thread this a.m.: this entire story is silly....He's fine with being called a crazy pedophile [By Trump, btw -- my add] yet gets mad when people run with a story from CNN. Team Carson furious with Cruz (post #77)

Note even that headline...
(a) Carson team "furious with Cruz"...but Rubio gets a Carson team pass...and
(b) href="http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2015/11/13/trump-rips-ben-carson-backstory-in-marathon-iowa-speech.html">Trump compares Carson to child molester, faces backlash
...and no "furious" response from the Carson campaign...

But let one renegade staffer engage in rumor-mongering & all hell breaks out @ the Carson campaign, eh?

BTW, since you defend Trump's alleged "moral high ground" & defend Carson's honor, I assume you were all over Trump in his mid-November comments about Carson (see above link).

Should I go check your mid to late November posting history...or will you simply confirm what I suspect: That you weren't all that upset about Trump's rumor - mongering about Carson being "pathological" back then?

Am I right? (Hint: This is a direct "yes" or "no" question)

[dynoman]

” inconsistency”

Not my word, never used it.

And it’s not about me. Why do you insist on making it about me personally?

Are Team “Principled” Ted’s dirty politics-as-normal tricks bothering you that much?? So much that you need to deflect your shame by attacking me on a personal level???

Weird.

[dynoman]

“Should I go check your mid to late November posting history...or will you simply confirm what I suspect: That you weren’t all that upset about Trump’s rumor - mongering about Carson being “pathological” back then?

Am I right? (Hint: This is a direct “yes” or “no” question) “

Using your own logic; if you were disgusted with Trump’s actions re Carson you should be disgusted with Team Ted’s lies and gutter politics in Iowa towards Carson.

Are you??

(Hint: This is a direct “yes” or “no” question)

[Colofornian]

Yes, I will answer that question directly...as soon as you answer mine.