Ben Carson plans to endorse Donald Trump, report says

The retired neurosurgeon dropped out of the presidential race last week.

Ben Carson plans to endorse Donald Trump on Friday, according to sources. (Getty Images)

Donald Trump should be getting an endorsement from another competitor, as it appears Ben Carson is set to throw his evangelical support behing the Republican front-runner.

The Washington Post reported that two sources say Mr Trump and Mr Carson met on Thursday, and that Mr Carson will announce his endorsement on Friday from Mr Trump's luxury Mar-a-Lago club in Florida. The two sources asked The Post to remain anonymous.

Mr Carson dropped out of the Republican presidential race last week, as he was never able to recapture the popularity he had early in his campaign. Mr Trump, on the other hand, has stormed through the Republican primaries, winning 15 states and is now clearly the top man in the race.

Support from Mr Carson could bring more evangelical voters into Mr Trump's corner, though he has been especially dominant in southern states, home to many evangelical voters.

This is the second endorsement Mr Trump has received from a former foe on the campaign trail. New Jersey Governor Chris Christie endorsed the brash businessman shortly after he dropped out of the race. Mr Christie has been seen at a few Trump rallies since.

Mr Carson's endorsement comes at a good time for Mr Trump, as voters will go to the polls in several important states next Tuesday, including Florida, North Carolina and Ohio. Mr Trump holds a lead in all three of those state and big wins on Tuesday would push him even closer to the Republican presidential nomination.

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