Ben Carson Says Black Lives Matter Activists Are Only Aiding 'Powerful White Liberal Funders'

2016 presidential hopeful Ben Carson has spoken out against the "#BlackLivesMatter" movement, arguing that activists with the movement are only benefitting "powerful white liberal funders."

Carson, a retired neurosurgeon, made his comments in a recent Op-Ed for USA Today, arguing that the Black Lives Matter movement is pursuing the wrong targets by protesting politicians like Bernie Sanders.

"The idea that disrupting and protesting Bernie Sanders speeches will change what is wrong in America is lunacy," Carson wrote in the opinion piece.

"The 'BlackLivesMatter' movement is focused on the wrong targets, to the detriment of blacks who would like to see real change and to the benefit of its powerful white liberal funders using the attacks on Sanders for political purposes that mean nothing for the problems that face our community," continued Carson.

"The notion that some lives might matter less than others is meant to enrage. That anger is distracting us from what matters most. We're right to be angry, but we have to stay smart," he added.

Carson's comments come after a spate of tense interactions between Black Lives Matter activists and democratic politicians, including two 2016 democratic presidential hopefuls, Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders.

Black Lives Matter activists interrupted Sanders' speech several days ago in Seattle, Washington, and also reportedly had a tense conversation with former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton following a campaign speech in New Hampshire.

A video from the conversation with Clinton shows the former First Lady saying that she believes laws are how to change the racist dynamic in America.

"I don't believe you change hearts," Clinton said. "I believe you change laws, you change allocation of resources, you change the way systems operate. You're not going to change every heart."