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.

[dynoman]

Equivocation.

[MD Expat in PA]

Yes. You are guilty of that. Thanks for sharing.

Why will you still not address Trump's very personal and untruthful smears, his outright lies about Carson?

[dynoman]

No amount of obfuscating on your part will change the fact Team Ted lied. Own it like Ted himself did, then i might answer. Ted went into the gutter with status quo dirty politics on a caucus night. He burned the idea he was the “principled” conservative down to ashes right out of the chute.

[MD Expat in PA]

No amount of obfuscating on your part will change the fact Team Ted lied. Own it like Ted himself did, then i might answer. Ted went into the gutter with status quo dirty politics on a caucus night. He burned the idea he was the “principled” conservative down to ashes right out of the chute.

I answered you, but it is you who actually continues to obfuscate by not answering me.

So I take that to mean you are perfectly OK with the lies Trump told about Carson when Carson was breifly leading in the Iowa poles? Was it principled for Trump to imply that Carson was just like a pedophile?

Wating...

[dynoman]

You never admitted Team Ted lied and “principled” died.

I would have never expected them to do what they did. I actually thought “principled” had meaning. Turns out it didn’t.

[dynoman]

“Like I said to Colofornian - when you show any amount of disgust for what Ted did in Iowa with the shame letters and with what he did on caucus night we can talk.”

Show disgust with no pussy footing around the outright lying stunt they pulled on caucus night.

[Pravious]

“Let’s say your rich uncle gives you the keys to his Cadillac. You drive it down to Martin Luther King Boulevard and pull over to the curb. You leave the keys in it, and the door open, and walk back home. It gets stolen.

Who do you think your uncle is going to blame ?”

I’m sure my Uncle would blame me for being irresponsible - though the thief is the one who actually committed a crime.

What you’re kind of smoothing over is that Carson was not irresponsible, and Cruz is not being held account for his underhanded campaign tactics.

Carson said he was going home to get clothes and beat the snowstorm that was expected to hit Iowa the next day. That’s what the media reported. Cruz’s people took it out of context, then lied to steal the election. They knew what was right, and purposefully distorted it in order to lie to people to steal votes.

If I had any respect left for Cruz or his team, it evaporated with this little dirty trick.

[MD Expat in PA]

You never admitted Team Ted lied and "principled" died. Show disgust with no pussy footing around the outright lying stunt they pulled on caucus night.

I am not inclined to show disgust over something that, given what was being reported at the time, was not a lie. But I did say that Steven King was wrong to say emphatically that Carson was dropping out without it being confirmed. But given what I know of the shambles Carson's campaign is in and has been in along with the fact Carson has no campaign events scheduled for NH or SC, I don't think it was unfair or underhanded to point it out.

But why will you still not address Trump's very personal and untruthful smears, his outright lies about Carson? Why should I have to agree with you in order for you to man up and admit what Trump said, the lies he told were actually much worse.

Did anyone from the Cruz campaign call Carson "pathological" and compare that his personality was no different from that of a pedophile and suggesting that the only cure for such a person was the death penalty or castration?

[UCANSEE2]

I'm sure my Uncle would blame me for being irresponsible

And that was my point.

[Pravious]

“I’m sure my Uncle would blame me for being irresponsible
And that was my point.”

Please explain what Ben Carson did that was “irresponsible” then. All he said is that he was flying home to change clothes and beat the oncoming snowstorm (and Cruz’s people knew this before they lied and told everyone he was quitting the race).

Also please explain why, even if Ben Carson WAS somehow “irresponsible,” that Team Cruz should bear no responsibility for lying about Carson in order to get votes.

[dynoman]

“I am not inclined to show disgust over something that, given what was being reported at the time, was not a lie.”

There’s the fatal flaw, you refuse to admit it was a lie.

It was a lie that even Ted admitted to, and apologized for. Ted actually said “that was our mistake” [the assumption/lie that Carson was dropping out] and that his team should have contacted Carson.

Until you admit Carson dropping out was Team Ted’s assumption, a lie, very unprincipled and dishonorable to use on caucus night, and show some disgust, everything else you bring is pussy footing around.

Say what you want about Trump but he didn’t pull dirty crap on caucus night when votes were being counted. Ted Cruz, the “principled” conservative did that.

Amazing.

I think Trump was stunned as how dirty it was. His after caucus speech was very nice. He congratulated Ted. He seemed very happy and so did his family. That was before he heard about Ted’s dirty tricks.

Donald Trump Speaks After Finishing 2nd in Iowa Caucuses: “We Will Win the Nomination”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DrejuO6ZbMo

I would have happily voted for Ted as the nominee because I actually thought he was principled and honorable. But now voting for Ted as the nominee will be just another “cream of the crap” vote for me.

[MD Expat in PA]

There's the fatal flaw, you refuse to admit it was a lie.

It was a lie that even Ted admitted to, and apologized for. Ted actually said "that was our mistake" [the assumption/lie that Carson was dropping out] and that his team should have contacted Carson.

Until you admit Carson dropping out was Team Ted's assumption, a lie, very unprincipled and dishonorable to use on caucus night, and show some disgust, everything else you bring is pussy footing around.

It wasn't just a "Team Ted" assumption.

CNN owes Ted Cruz an apology

Former Ben Carson communications director: They gave Cruz a 'loaded pistol'

Barry Bennett, Carson's former campaign manager, and Doug Watts, his former communications director, told Business Insider that the candidate was asking for such speculation by making the announcement in the middle of the caucus fury.

Bennett, who now serves as a volunteer adviser to real-estate mogul Donald Trump, said:

Eighteen days on the road is a long time. He's been going at this pace now for about a year, so I understand his wanting to get home and sleep in his own bed for a night. But, last I checked, there were dry cleaners in Iowa, so he could probably get fresh clothes.

He said he would've advised Carson to stop in New Hampshire first before heading back to Florida, to avoid any appearance that he was ending his campaign. Watts shared a similar sentiment.

Watts said he would've "vigorously" counseled against going anywhere but New Hampshire or South Carolina. He added that, if he had lost that debate, he would've been strong in telling staffers to "keep their mouths shut" about where Carson was going and when.

When are you going to demand that Team Donald apologize for when Trump compared Carson to a pathological pedophile and suggested that the only cure for people like Carson was the death penalty or castration? Were you disgusted when Trump said Carson was "perhaps" a doctor and just an "OK" doctor? among other insults Trump hurled at Carson?

[dynoman]

I won’t argue with psychoglaucoma, equivocation, red herrings, goalpost moving, and blaming the victim. The issue is what Team Ted did on caucus night. Ted trashed his “principles” caucus night. That dog not only doesn’t hunt any more - it’s DEAD.

“The Psychomyopic Democrat” - Defining a Democrat.
http://freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1627860/posts

[dynoman]

What you are trying to get me to do is say what Ted did is no worse than things Trump did. That’s how you’ve set it up with the comparisons to Trump. That is a very disingenuous position to take. I won’t do it. And you shouldn’t either because to do so you have to put Ted in the exact same ethical class as Trump. Actually Ted is worse because what he did was on caucus night when votes were being counted.

Trump was honorable on caucus night, Ted wasn’t. By his actions Ted proved he’s not the highly principled outside politician he billed himself to be. It’s that simple.

Like I’ve said I honestly believed Ted really was the most principled candidate, but Ted blew that to smithereens on caucus night. I still can’t believe Ted did what he did - and on a caucus night. It’s stunning.

[UCANSEE2]

Please explain what Ben Carson did that was "irresponsible" then.

All he said is that he was flying home to change clothes (although that was not all he said ). And he opened the opportunity for everyone to use that against him. Besides the fact that it seems a rather odd excuse, why even mention it ? He also mentioned he needed some R&R. While I can understand that, it can and easily was misinterpreted.

I don't know if he said the following, but there were reports he was taking the R&R to 'consider' whether he should drop out of the race. Not the kind of thing you want 'out there' prior to the FIRST MAJOR CAUCUS.

My point is that these are the kind of things you don't want out there for the media or other candidates to use against you, AN HOUR before the crucial voting.

Also please explain why, even if Ben Carson WAS somehow "irresponsible," that Team Cruz should bear no responsibility for lying about Carson in order to get votes.

I don't think the Team Cruz should bear no responsibility. I think Team Cruz has a bunch of no holds barred, take no prisoners staff members. They took Carson's untimely 'plans' and distorted them to use against Carson. Politics is a dirty business, election periods are even worse, so if you want to win, don't volunteer info that could be misconstrued so easily.

In complete fairness, Carson might have tried to keep this under his hat, but was stabbed in the back by former 'staffers' who quit and went to work for CRUZ. Carson should be held responsible for the people he 'hired' to work on his staff. Was this where he dropped the ball ?

[UCANSEE2]

Let me ask you this. Do you really believe that Carson had to fly ALL THE WAY HOME to change clothes ?

[UCANSEE2]

And in like manner, CRUZ should be held responsible for the people he ‘hired’ to work on his staff.

[UCANSEE2]

And as if by magic...

Former Ben Carson communications director: They gave Cruz a 'loaded pistol'

"Republican presidential candidate and retired neurosurgeon Ben Carson's former top campaign aides think Carson's campaign botched the handling of his post-Iowa caucus trip home to Florida, the fallout of which has pervaded throughout the week.

Before the caucuses began, Carson's campaign hastily said that the candidate was heading home "to get fresh clothes," amid speculation that he might be pulling the plug on his campaign.

Barry Bennett, Carson's former campaign manager, and Doug Watts, his former communications director, told Business Insider that the candidate was asking for such speculation by making the announcement in the middle of the caucus fury. "