Ben Carson Blames Bible for Calling Trans Women 'Big Hairy Men'

Ben Carson would like you to know that his recent transphobic remarks weren't his fault. He was just repeating something he heard from some other bigot or maybe from the Bible.

In a Fox News interview that is mind-bogglingly dim even by that network's standards, Trump's Housing and Urban Development Secretary attempted to explain to host Tucker Carlson why recently he delivered a rambing address to HUD staff in San Francisco that culminated in a description of transgender women as "big hairy men."

Carson addressed remarks by saying that "the Bible tells us that we have to love everybody and that Jesus died for everybody," before adding: "[I]t also tells you that if you stick to Biblical principles you will be persecuted, so I am not surprised at that either."

The Cabinet member didn't state which Biblical principle he was referring to exactly.

Carson also recycled the same rhetoric that conservatives constantly use to discredit trans identities: "You know, if I wake up tomorrow and I feel like I'm Chinese, it doesn't necessarily make me Chinese," he said.

As if that weren't enough, Carson also punted responsibility on the issue by saying that if trans advocacy organizations really had an issue with his remarks, they are free to reach out to him. "I have offered transgender groups an opportunity to let me know what their solution would be so that everybody's rights are observed," he said. "I haven't heard one peep."

In truth, trans and housing advocacy groups have offered detailed solutions to the issues that LGBTQ+ people face -- and have done so over and over and over again. Organizations like the National Center for Trans Equality helped advocate for policies adopted by the Obama administration that guaranteed transgender people equal access in public housing and homeless shelters, but those guidelines have been rolled back by Carson's office.

Carson's Fox news ramble is an even weirder explanation than his previous justification, which is that someone used the term "big hairy men" in conversation with him, and he was just repeating what they'd said.

While the White House claimed in a statement that Carson would never disparage trans people with "derogatory language," mocking LGBTQ+ people is nothing new for him. Before joining the Trump administration, Carson compared gay people to pedophiles and claimed that marriage equality is a Marxist plot. He also said that prisons make you gay.

RELATED | Elizabeth Warren Suggests Ben Carson Resign Over Anti-Trans Comments