Story highlights Ben Carson said concentrating on leaked Donald Trump tapes were detracting from key policy issues

He added that he had heard similar lewd conversations in the past

(CNN) Ben Carson said Tuesday "of course" he's heard similar language from other people along the lines of the recently surfaced lewd and sexually aggressive comments from Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump.

"I've heard people talking like that. Of course. Are you kidding me?" the former Republican presidential candidate told CNN's Brianna Keilar. "As I was growing up, people were always trying to talk about their sexual conquests and trying to make themselves appear like Casanova."

Carson, who supports Trump, said that at the time they were recorded -- nearly 11 years ago -- the Republican presidential candidate was a "billionaire playboy," adding that he had personally heard people speaking in a similar manner about women in the past.

Trump was married to his third wife, Melania, at the time.

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