Muslim shouldn’t be president, says Republican presidential hopeful Ben Carson

WASHINGTON – Republican presidential hopeful Ben Carson says he doesn’t believe a Muslim should be elected president.

Carson is a devout Christian and says a president’s faith should matter to voters if it runs counter to America’s values.

Responding to a question on NBC’s “Meet the Press,” Carson describes the Islamic faith as inconsistent with the U.S. Constitution.

“I would not advocate that we put a Muslim in charge of this nation,” he told NBC. “I absolutely would not agree with that.”

Tweet This Click to share quote on Twitter: "I would not advocate that we put a Muslim in charge of this nation," he told NBC. "I absolutely would not agree with that."

When asked if he would vote for a Muslim for congress, he said it would depend on the person and their policies because “congress is a different story.”

Carson’s comments come amid fallout over Republican front-runner Donald Trump’s refusal last week to take issue with a man during a campaign event who wrongly called President Barack Obama a Muslim and said Muslims are “a problem in this country.” Obama is Christian.

Carson says he believes that Obama was born in the U.S. and is Christian.

WATCH: Trump in hot water over comment (or lack of comment) during campaign event

With files from Global’s Rebecca Joseph.