Jimmy Carter in Team of Five, by Kate Brower

On Foreign Policy: Be flexible with North Korean leader on nuclear deal

When I met with Jimmy Carter in Plains, Georgia, in spring 2018, Carter was still harboring hopes of being dispatched by Trump to negotiate a nuclear deal with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un. It always seemed far-fetched.

Carter is the only former president Trump has sought advice from while in office. One quiet night in April 2019, a call came from a White House operator announcing that Trump wanted to talk to Carter about China and trade. Carter was able to ask about the status of talks with North Korea, and he advised the president to "be flexible" with the North Korean leader.

Later, when it was clear that Trump would not be sending him to broker any deal with the North Koreans--or anyone else--Carter didn't pull any punches. "I think he's a disaster," he said unequivocally. At a Carter Center event in June 2019, he went further, saying that a full investigation "would show that Trump didn't actually win the election in 2016. He was put into office because the Russians interfered."

Source: Team of Five, by Kate Andersen Brower Apr 21, 2020

On Principles & Values: 2005: Time's "Partners of the Year" with George H.W. Bush

The former presidents supported George W. Bush after 9/11, and how George H.W. Bush and Clinton traveled the world together, seeking help after the tsunami in Asia, and in their leadership roles raising money after Hurricane Katrina. They became near-constant companions, doing interviews together and even traveling with George W. as part of the American delegation to Pope John Paul II's 2005 funeral in Rome. "Come on," Bush senior implored Clinton. "It will be better with you along." Nicknamed "the A-team" in the press, they became like father and son. Time made them Partners of the Year in its 2005 Person of the Year issue. After seeing how powerful the Clinton-Bush team was, President Obama dispatched George W. Bush and Clinton to Haiti to raise awareness and funds after the devastating 2010 earthquake. This kind of teamwork and camaraderie now seems unthinkable and almost quaint. Source: Team of Five, by Kate Andersen Brower Apr 21, 2020

On Principles & Values: Asked Trump for $5 million for Carter Presidential Library

In The Art of the Deal, Trump wrote that Carter had come to his office to ask for a $5 million donation to his presidential library. He was surprised that Carter had "the nerve, the guts," to ask for something so "extraordinary." Needless to say, Trump did not give it to him. "He bragged about it," Carter said. "That was one of his major selling points: 'I turned down Jimmy Carter.' "

But Carter was one of the first people to call Trump to congratulate him on his election victory in 2016 (a gesture Trump clearly appreciated).

In 2016, the Carters voted for Bernie Sanders and not Hillary Clinton in the Democratic primary, and they do not feel much warmth toward the Obamas. They were clearly disappointed that the Obamas had not sought their advice on leading effective postpresidential lives, and Carter felt that Obama did not pay him the proper respect when he was president.

Source: Team of Five, by Kate Andersen Brower Apr 21, 2020

The above quotations are from Team of Five The Presidents Club in the Age of Trump by Kate Andersen Brower. Click here for other excerpts from Team of Five The Presidents Club in the Age of Trump by Kate Andersen Brower. Click here for other excerpts by Jimmy Carter. Click here for a profile of Jimmy Carter.
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Page last updated: Mar 16, 2021