Ben Carson says shakeup of top staff was necessary

Republican presidential candidate Ben Carson defended the recent shakeup of his top staff Sunday as a way to turn his ideas into action.

ith less than a month to go before the first votes are cast in Iowa, Carson said on ABC's "This Week" that a top-down, controlling campaign structure was keeping too many of his ideas from reaching the public.

"It was very difficult to execute plans," Carson said. "For instance, getting our policies out -- you know, we talk and talk and talk, but they don't seem to get out, and I want them out. I want people to be able to analyze them and talk about them."

Carson brought in a new campaign manager, retired Army general Bob Dees, late last month, leading to the exodus of former campaign manager Barry Bennett and two other top aides. He praised those who left but said, "We're in a different ballgame, and we need the ability to execute and not just to have good ideas."

During the interview, the retired neurosurgeon refused to criticize GOP front-runner Donald Trump for becoming a source of recruitment for terrorists. The group al-Shabaab has released a video calling on Muslims to join jihad or leave the United States following Trump's call for a temporary ban on Muslim immigration.

"We should all be careful about what we say, but the fact of the matter is, let’s not get so concerned about how offended our enemies are," Carson said. "And let’s pay a whole lot more attention to who we are and how do we protect our people here in the United States."