Former U.S. Secretary of Housing and Urban Development Ben Carson addressed the University of Wisconsin community on Monday night, arguing that the American Dream remains a reachable reality despite deepening national divisions.
Speaking at an event titled “Dr Ben Carson: The American Dream is Alive,” Carson shared his perspectives on individual identity, the role of government, and the current state of higher education, according to reporting from the Badger Herald.
The event was hosted by the Center for Research on the Wisconsin Economy (CROWE) and Young Americans for Freedom (YAF), a conservative organization dedicated to promoting individual liberty on college campuses.
Carson, a neurosurgeon who received the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2008 under the George W. Bush administration and again in 2026 under the Donald Trump administration, used his platform to critique the direction of modern universities.
He suggested that higher education institutions are drifting away from their mission of helping students discover independent perspectives, accusing them instead of encouraging uniform thinking and indoctrination.
“It is more important than ever [to hear conservative values], the reason why people have sort of gone off the deep end is because they don’t hear the message,” Carson said.
He emphasized that campuses should serve as environments where students can develop their own identities rather than conforming to a singular viewpoint.
During a question-and-answer session, Carson addressed recent midterm election results, offering a characteristically blunt assessment of the political situation.
“What happened in these midterms was probably inevitable, but it may be a good thing,” Carson said, adding that the results would allow voters to see that “socialists have no better solutions, and things will get worse.”
His commentary touched on the broader philosophical alignment between himself and Donald Trump, noting that they share nearly identical views. While he maintained that Trump was the most effective choice for his role during his first term, Carson stated that the responsibility to lead has now shifted back to the American people.
Regarding the nation’s social fabric, Carson acknowledged the complexities of the American experience, stating, “Yes, America has some bad things in its history, but if you really want to talk about a place, you have to talk about everything, the good, the bad and the ugly.”
He concluded his remarks by telling young attendees that they possess the inherent power to drive change within their own lives.
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