Fox News pundit questions whether Jimmy Carter is really ‘decent’ after he ‘essentially’ called Reagan a ‘racist’

Fox News contributor Bill McGurn on Monday questioned the public’s perception of the late President Jimmy Carter as a “decent” man, noting that Carter’s “substantial” comments during the 1980 presidential election ” labeled Ronald Reagan a “racist” and a “war monger.”

McGurn – one wall street journal The editorial board member and former speechwriter for President George W. Bush — who was 100 years old — lashed out at Carter when asked about his death on Sunday. story Hosted by anchor Jonathan Hunter, it provides commentary on the late president’s legacy. Hunt admitted there appeared to be no disagreement about “what a decent human being” the late president was.

But, he also noted, “I think when you look at Jimmy Carter, I disagreed with his policies, and I went through his administration, it was very hurtful to a lot of people,” McGahn responded. “People are suffering not just here but all over the world.”

McGurn added: “But his personal actions – his philanthropy, his volunteer work – will all be praised. To be honest, I think his marriage [to Rosalynn Carter]– more than seven years – is a remarkable achievement. I think most achievements are personal. He had some public achievements. But in the public sphere, the problems are even greater.

After Fox News media analyst Howie Kurtz spoke about his past interviews with Carter and some of the difficulties he faced toward the end of his presidency, Hunter turned to McGahn to ask about Carter’s foreign policy accomplishments.

“We should not forget the Israel-Camp David Accords. It is one of the few and most enduring treaties we have seen in the Middle East. President Carter certainly deserves high praise for his work in this area. Bill, don’t you agree? Hunter ask.

“I agree with that,” the Fox expert replied. “Additionally, he also supported the Afghan mujahideen after the Soviet invasion in ’79. He also brought in Paul Volcker to address the inflation problem, which may have cost him the election. Having said that, McGahn later expressed his disapproval of Carter’s Questions were raised about Reagan’s campaign late in the 1980 election.

“I think we have to remember, you know, when everyone said he was decent? Remember his campaign against Reagan? He called him a racist and a warmonger at one point,” McGahn claim.

McGahn apparently cited comments Carter made during his campaign at the Atlanta church, where the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. served as co-pastor. In a speech at the Neshoba County Fair in Mississippi, Carter blasted his opponent for mentioning “states’ rights” in a speech to an almost all-white crowd.

“You saw in this campaign the incitement of hatred and the rebirth of code words like ‘states’ rights’ in speeches in Mississippi; there was a reference to the Ku Klux Klan with ties to the South in one campaign event,” Carter said. “This message creates a dark cloud on the political horizon. Hate has no place in this country.

as new york times According to reports in 1980, the fair was known for hosting political candidates who engaged in “violent racist invective,” especially considering it was located just a few miles from the site where three civil rights workers were murdered in 1964. slate It also noted that Reagan’s presence at the fair “was part of a strategy articulated by a Republican official in a 1979 letter to send the eventual nominee to venues likely to attract ‘George Wallace-leaning voters’ .

McGahn continued his speech, comparing Carter’s accomplishments during his tenure to those of Reagan.

“You know, just a few years later, Reagan won the Cold War without firing a shot. Jimmy Carter admitted that the Soviets had played him,” McGahn said. “They lied to him and played against him. I think, you know, we have to talk about the president in terms of his public impact. A lot of it is very unfortunate.

Hunter, meanwhile, ended the segment by saying, “We can certainly disagree with … the policies of the Carter administration,” but “no one disagrees that he was truly a very good man and he will be greatly missed.”

Following Carter’s death, world leaders, dignitaries and other former presidents paid tribute, praising the Nobel Peace Prize winner for his humanitarian achievements and commitment to public service after leaving office.

“For sixty years, we have been honored to call Jimmy Carter a dear friend,” President Joe Biden and First Lady Jill Biden said in a statement. “But the remarkable thing about Jimmy Carter is that millions of people in America and around the world who never met him also considered him a dear friend.”

President-elect Donald Trump also had some kind words for the 39th president, saying “we all owe him a debt of gratitude” for Carter “doing everything in his power to improve the lives of all Americans” despite He faces challenges in the White House. However, he also noted that he “strongly” disagrees with Carter philosophically and politically.

Speaking to reporters on Sunday night, Biden was asked if there was one thing Trump could learn from Carter and his legacy. “Decent. Decent. Decent,” the outgoing president said, adding: “Can you imagine Jimmy Carter walking past someone who needs something and then continuing on? Can you imagine Jimmy Carter looking past someone’s appearance? Or speak in a way that refers to someone? I can’t.

MAGA did not take kindly to Biden’s attacks on his soon-to-be successor, complaining that Biden was “discourteous” in suggesting that Trump was “indecent” while calling the president a “garbage man.” In addition, some conservative columnists and commentator He took the opportunity to describe Carter as a “terrible president” and “an even worse ex-president” while saying he was “no saint.”