GOP presidential hopeful Ben Carson declared on Sunday that people in the United States wanted to take in Syrian refugees because it was "politically correct," which he warned would put the country "at risk."

Speaking on ABC News, Carson told host Martha Raddatz that his experience as a brain surgeon gave him the necessary skills to be president.

"Let me ask you this then," Raddatz replied. "How would you handle the refugee crisis right now?"

"I would recognize that bringing in people from the Middle East right now carries extra danger," Carson explained. "And we have to be extra cautious."

"You know, we need to tighten it up and be very careful," the candidate added. "Because we cannot put our people at risk because we're trying to be politically correct."