Dr. Ben Carson commanded applause on “The View” when he said the welfare state is not helping Americans as it should.

The retired neurosurgeon’s comments yesterday garnered loud applause from the audience as well as accolades from actor Terry Crews, another guest on the talk show.

The gist of what Carson said:

When you rob someone of their incentive to go out there and improve themselves, you are not doing them any favors. When you take someone and pat them on the head and say ‘There, there, you poor little thing … I’m going to give you food stamps, housing subsidies, free health care’ … You can’t do that. What would be much more empowering is to use our intellect and our resources to give those people a way up and out.

Carson, who has exhibited conservative star power on the lecture circuit, recently released a new book and confirmed that he is considering a run for president in 2016.

>>> Watch the clip of Carson on “The View”