Donald Trump open to joining forces with Ben Carson in single Republican ticket

Republican US presidential candidates Dr. Ben Carson (L) and Donald Trump talk during a commercial break at the second official Republican presidential candidates debate of the 2016 US presidential campaign at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library in Simi Valley, California, on Sept. 16, 2015.Reuters

Is a team-up between Republican presidential hopefuls Donald Trump and Ben Carson on the horizon with Trump as president and Carson his vice president?

For Trump, the Republican presidential frontrunner, a tandem with his closest rival is not at all a farfetched idea.

In an interview with CNN, the controversial business tycoon said he gets along well with the retired neurosurgeon.

"Well, I like him, he likes me. I mean stranger things have happened," Trump said, when asked about the possibility of his teaming up with Carson.

The real estate mogul admitted that he has differences in "style" with Carson, but these may well work to both of their advantages.

"You know, we have a very good relationship. We're not as different as people think. But there is certainly a different style. You know, I have great assets and he has some great assets. But we are both resonating, there's no question about it," Trump explained.

He further said that a tandem with Carson may be viable since both of them have "hit a chord" with the American public, even with the fact that they are both political outsiders.

Trump nevertheless said that "it's too early to think about" joining forces with Carson, with the race to the White House just heating up.

While Trump has heavily attacked some of his Republican presidential opponents, he has only had minor tiffs with Carson.

Carson overtakes Trump in Iowa

Meanwhile, Carson has pulled ahead of Trump in the latest Iowa caucus poll, dislodging the billionaire out of the top spot in the state for the first time since early August, Fox News reported.

The Quinnipiac University survey showed Carson leading Trump 28-20 percent among likely GOP caucus-goers.

Trump and Carson have been dominating the polls since the summer, both nationally and in key states. But Carson had been trailing Trump in Iowa until now.

The findings come ahead of the third Republican presidential debate, set for next week. In the past two debates, Carson and Trump avoided sparring with each other. Though the two have a reputation for controversial remarks, their political styles are very different—Carson is soft-spoken and genial on the campaign trail while Trump often adopts a confrontational attitude.