Ahead of Tuesday's Republican presidential debate, Dr. Ben Carson called for the State Department to "fully investigate" the Council of America-Islamic Relations (CAIR) "as an offshoot of the Muslim Brotherhood and a supporter of terrorism."

Carson listed the investigation in his "Seven Steps for a Safer America." Among the steps, Carson also called for Congress to formally declare war on ISIS, the United States to lead a regional coalition against the group, and for moderate Arab nations to establish a "refugee Safe zone" in Syria.

Asked to explain the new position against a group the campaign says it has reached out to in the past, Communications Director Doug Watts claimed that CAIR supports Hamas in public comments, refused to condemn Osama Bin Laden immediately after the 9/11 attacks, and has made "proclamations of desire to turn the U.S. into a country that is governed by Sharia law."...

"Ben Carson is a failing candidate grasping at straws and seeking payback for CAIR's previous criticism of his anti-Muslim bigotry," Communications Director Ibrahim Hooper to NBC News in statement. "He found that Islamophobia gave him a boost in the past, so he is trying it again."