Pray for Him': Ben Carson Responds to Donald Trump's Excoriating Comments

Retired-neurosurgeon Ben Carson responded Friday to Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump's pointed criticisms, saying the billionaire doesn't understand the word "pathological," adding that he has come to "expect" comments like Trump's in today's political climate.

"It's not the type of dialogue I would ever engage in," Carson told CNN. "I'm hopeful that maybe his advisors will help him understand the word 'pathological' and recognize that does not denote 'incurable' — it's not the same."

Speaking of Trump earlier Friday, top Carson adviser Armstrong Williams told CNN, "I feel so sorry for him." Williams noted Carson's initial reaction the Trump's comments: "Pray for him."

Trump made headlines Thursday for equating Carson's "pathological temper," which the retired doctor addresses in his memoir "Gifted Hands," to a "child molester."

"Pathological is a very serious disease," Trump said in an interview with CNN's Erin Burnett. "[T]hat's a big problem, because you don't cure that. That's like, I could say, they say you don't cure, as an example, child molesters — you don't cure these people."

“Pathological, there’s no cure for that” @realDonaldTrump makes comparison involving “child molester” & #BenCarson https://t.co/FSPsl3JGFQ

— OutFrontCNN (@OutFrontCNN) November 13, 2015

However, according to Carson, "pathological" is just an adjective to describe something that is "highly abnormal" but said it is something he has been "delivered from for half a century now."

"Mr. Trump speaks of this as if it happened within the last year. I mean, are you kidding me?" Williams said.

"It's so sad watching and listening to him," Williams added.

According to Williams, Trump "cannot fathom" how someone would do better than him in the GOP presidential polls, and now he is "imploding."

"Obviously, he only wants to be on the stage by himself, crowned the nominee and run against the eventual Democratic challenger," Williams said.

Watch Carson's comments below:

(H/T: CNN)

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Follow Tré Goins-Phillips (@tregp) on Twitter