Story highlights The former presidential candidate endorsed Donald Trump at a news conference in Palm Beach, Florida

"I want the political process to play out in the way that it should play out," Ben Carson said

Palm Beach, Florida (CNN) Ben Carson threw his support behind Donald Trump Friday morning, saying the two men had "buried the hatchet" and praising the Republican Party's front-runner as a "the voice of the people to be heard."

Speaking at a news conference here at Trump's private club, Mar-a-Lago, the retired neurosurgeon echoed Trump's recent calls for party unity and pleaded with the GOP to allow the "political process to play out."

"What I've been seeing recently is political operatives ... once again trying to assert themselves and trying to thwart the will of the people," Carson said. "I find that to be an extraordinarily dangerous place right now."

Carson's endorsement, coming just one week after he ended his own White House campaign, gives Trump a significant boost as the Republican nominating contest heads to critical states like Florida and Ohio on Tuesday. Trump said he did not make any promises to Carson about a future role in a potential Trump administration, but pledged that Carson would play a "big, big part" in his campaign.

Carson -- whose campaign and demeanor were polar opposites of Trump's in many ways -- played the role Friday of vouching for Trump's character and integrity. He explained that there were "two Donald Trumps" -- one that the public sees, and another more reserved and "cerebral" man who "sits there and considers things very carefully."

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