Despite poor showing in Nevada, Ben Carson says 'things are starting to happen'

Ben Carson didn't let his apparent fourth place finish in the Nevada caucuses ruin his mood Tuesday night.

"I believe things are starting to happen here," he told supporters. Carson saw "a lot of enthusiasm in all the places that we went, very enthusiastic crowds," he said, adding that the "pundits and political class" were wrong to say he was struggling to connect with voters. With 16.6 percent of precincts reporting, Carson had 5.6 percent of the vote, while first place finisher Donald Trump had 46.7 percent.

Carson drew a comparison between the United States and the Roman empire when "Rome was burning," the Los Angeles Times reports, but he said the country could snap out of its decline. "We have a bunch of fire extinguishers," Carson told a cheering audience. "And we are going to put the fire out. And we are going to put fire in our bellies."