After a major campaign shakeup that followed a plunge in polls, Republican presidential hopeful Ben Carson was in the city Monday night, holding a town hall meeting in Staten Island. NY1's Josh Robin filed the following report.

With the Iowa Caucuses just a month away, Staten Island isn't exactly where you think you'd find Ben Carson. But it was standing room only for the retired pediatric neurosurgeon, belying a recent belly flop in polls.

Ben Carson had led Iowa and been virtually tied nationally with Donald Trump. Now, three top aides are out and Carson says he is poised to climb again.

"It's going to be up to us, we the people. We must reject the pundits and the people who try to tell you what you're supposed to do," Carson said.

Amid an increasingly bloody world, Carson had seemed ill-prepared for questions of foreign affairs. Monday, he sprinkled remarks with overseas plans, especially for Syria, though his call for limited troops didn't sound much different than that of the man he wants to replace.

He calls for a safe haven in the Middle East for Syrian refugees. He says a recent visit there informed him no refugee wants to come to the U.S.

What Carson doesn't change is a subdued manner, especially when contrasted with Donald Trump. He is stressing reconciliation, telling the audience that the American Dream isn't dead.

"Rage is not necessarily going to solve our problem," Carson said. "You take people who sit on different sides of issues, and you sit them down and you let them talk."

He did criticize a few things. The national budget, for one. Carson is proposing a near-15 percent flat tax, but is vague about what would be cut to account for the revenue loss.

Outside, a small group protested. In particular, they protested Carson's recent remark that he didn't believe a practicing Muslim should be president.

"This Constitution, Article 6, Section 3, says there shall not be ever a religious test to hold office in the United States," said Hesham El-Meligy of the Islamic Civic Association.
Carson calls that contention quote crap.

"I said I would not want a Muslim who accepted all the precepts of Islam, including Shariah," Carson said.

It was his biggest applause in a supportive night.