GOP candidate Ben Carson has cancelled trips to Nigeria, Kenya, Zambia and Israel that were scheduled for the end of the month as "significant security concerns" have arisen.
Doug Watts, a spokesman for the former neurosurgeon, said while announcing the decision that the cancellation was "recommended by the Secret Service based on briefings they had had," The Daily Nation reported.
Carson's foreign policy credentials have left much to be desired recently, with him making a number of embarrassing mistakes, including repeatedly mispronouncing Hamas in a speech before Jewish Republicans.
"There is significant security concerns. It's classified information so I'm just going to say it's too dangerous. I think it'll make me look smart to not go into some place where there's a lot of danger," Carson told reporters while explaining his decision at an event in Iowa, according to CNN.
During his visit to the African nations, Carson was supposed to meet with Siamese Twins he separated nearly two decades ago, learn more about the Boko Haram and discover his ancestry, which Carson traces back to the Turkana people. The Turkana live near Kenya's borders with Ethiopia and South Sudan, not in the "Kenya-Tanzania region," as claimed by Carson.
"Well I would've gone if I was doing it in conjunction with the trip, but you know, I've been there, I will be there in the future. I think this might be a good time to spend a little more time at home," Carson said while announcing the cancellation of his visit to Israel, reported NBC News.
