Sources Say Carson Will Endorse Trump

Former rival Ben Carson is set to endorse Republican presidential frontrunner Donald Trump on Friday, the Washington Post reports, citing two sources "familiar with [Carson's] thinking." The two sat down together at a "luxury club" Trump owns in Florida and finalized the agreement on Thursday. The endorsement comes despite what the Post calls Trump's "blistering critiques" of Carson early in the contest. Those critiques included comparing Carson to a child molester at one point, according to USA Today.

Regardless, sources say Carson, who dropped out of the race last week, sees Trump as the GOP's best chance to win the White House. In an interview Thursday, Carson complimented Trump, saying he "is actually a thinking individual" when you get him away from big crowds and television cameras. The Hill reports a Carson endorsement could help Trump in a number of ways, including bolstering support from evangelicals, helping fight claims Trump is racist, and bringing a "quiet dignity" to Trump's campaign. The Post says Carson could be Trump's biggest endorsement since another former rival, Chris Christie. (More Ben Carson stories.)