NATIONAL HARBOR, Maryland — Dr. Ben Carson said Thursday he believes Donald Trump to be the most persecuted political figure while refusing to rule out his potential status as the former president’s 2024 running mate.

Asked whether comparisons of Trump to recently deceased top Vladimir Putin critic Alexei Navalny or former South African President Nelson Mandela were accurate, Carson said, “I think he’s been persecuted more than any political figure I remember in my lifetime, and probably before that.”

In an interview with the Washington Examiner, Trump’s former Housing and Urban Development Secretary said his former boss is “being politically persecuted” due to his popularity among voters. “You’re taking away the right the people have to choose who they want,” he claimed.

During his speech at the American Conservative Union’s 2024 Conservative Political Action Conference Thursday, Carson told the audience, “Trump’s only crime is representing the American people first.”

Carson endorsed Trump last year at a rally in Iowa, where he emphasized his confidence in the former president to “fix our country.” However, Trump’s endorsements may not all be guaranteed if he is convicted of crimes ahead of the November election. According to Carson, “if [Trump is] convicted of a crime of which he’s actually guilty, I would obviously take that into consideration.” But the charges he faces now, Carson said, “are sham charges.”

He said he probably would support Trump despite a conviction. That is, “unless it was indisputable that he had done something that was morally objectionable,” Carson added, noting that it would be unlikely.

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As to whether the 72-year-old former HUD secretary would be interested in running alongside Trump as his vice president, he said, “I really haven’t put a lot of thought into it.”

Pressed if he would consider such a role, he didn’t rule it out, saying, “I will consider what we can do to save our country.”