The Biblical Origins Behind Ben Carson's Supreme Court ‘Fruit Salad’ Line

The GOP presidential candidate made the comment Thursday night.

ByABC News
February 26, 2016, 12:12 AM

— -- How would a President Ben Carson choose the next Supreme Court justice?

“As president, I will go through and I will look at what a person's life has been,” Carson said at Thursday night’s presidential debate. “That will tell you a lot more than an interview will tell you. The fruit salad of their life is what I will look at.”

That comment left many scratching their heads -- and set the Twittersphere abuzz.

In the spin room after the debate, which was held at the University of Houston, Carson explained to ABC News' Josh Haskell what he meant.

“There’s a verse in the Bible that says, ‘by their fruit, you will know them,’” Carson said. “So, obviously, you know, how they live their lives, what it produces, that’s the fruit salad of their life.”

And on a fact-checking note, a version of that line does, indeed, appear in the Bible’s Book of Matthew.