Republican presidential candidate Carly Fiorina said on The Tonight Show on Monday that she believes a Muslim shouldn’t be prevented from serving as president.
Fiorina’s comments came a day after fellow Republican candidate Ben Carson sparked controversy on NBC’s Meet the Press when he said that he does not believe a Muslim should hold the nation’s highest office.
“I think that’s wrong,” Fiorina told host Jimmy Fallon. “It says in our Constitution that religion cannot be a test for office.”
She went on to describe how her Christian faith has helped her through difficult times.
“I actually believe people of faith make better leaders,” she said. “My faith has sustained me through some very bad times,” she said.
“I lost a child, I’ve been tested. But whether it’s a person of Christian faith or Jewish faith or Muslim faith or other faiths, I think faith gives us humility, empathy and optimism, and I think those are important things.”
Fiorina has climbed in the polls following a strong performance in last week’s GOP debate.
In the latest CNN poll, Donald Trump was still in the lead but his support dipped from 32% to 24%.
Meanwhile, Fiorina had shot up to 15%, ahead of Carson and good for second place overall.
Fiorina also defended her record as CEO of Hewlett-Packard during her Tonight Show appearance. She has faced criticism over her tenure as CEO of the technology company, particularly from Trump.
“Carly Fiorina is terrible at business–the last thing our country needs!” Trump tweeted Monday.
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