Donald Trump Posted A Second Tribute To Jimmy Carter That Reportedly Outraged His Base

Donald Trump has always fit somewhat uneasily into the fraternity of presidents and ex-presidents. At any given time, there are usually only a small handful of living people who have ever been president, and sometimes even those who were former political rivals — like Bill Clinton and George H.W. Bush — will become good friends in their post-presidencies.

Trump, however, is a confirmed enemy of President Biden and has complicated personal histories with the likes of Barack Obama and Bill Clinton. He also began his political career with a level of personal viciousness directed at George W. Bush’s brother, Jeb, and has positioned his rise as a repudiation of Bush’s presidency. Trump, as in the case of John McCain’s funeral, has even sometimes been banished from events where all of the other living presidents have gathered.

Jimmy Carter, the 39th US president, has died at 100 https://t.co/LhyY4m6AVX pic.twitter.com/eHTPRaPLrP

— The Associated Press (@AP) December 29, 2024

So it was fascinating to see how Trump would react to the news of the death of Jimmy Carter, the 39th president of the United States, who passed away on Sunday at the age of 100, nearly two years after he entered hospice care.

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Since Trump’s political rise a decade ago, Carter was often critical of the 4th president. However, per CNN, the two men were in touch in the 2018-’19 period when the Trump Administration made a diplomatic opening to North Korea, a place where Carter had performed diplomacy in the past.

The White House said at the time that Trump “has always liked President Carter,” but the two later fell out after Carter spoke up about such things as Trump’s Russia ties and his handling of the COVID-19 pandemic. Just a few days ago, Trump criticized Carter for agreeing to transfer sovereignty to the Panama Canal and vowing to reverse it.

After the news Sunday of Carter’s passing, Trump issued two different statements on Truth Social, with varying degrees of praise and disagreement. The first statement, issued Sunday afternoon, ended with Trump declaring, “Melania and I are thinking warmly of the Carter Family and their loved ones during this difficult time. We urge everyone to keep them in their hearts and prayers.”

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The second statement issued a couple of hours later, was a bit tougher before coming around to praise.

“President Jimmy Carter is dead at 100 years of age. While I strongly disagreed with him philosophically and politically, I also realized that he truly loved and respected our Country, and all it stands for,” the second post said. “He worked hard to make America a better place, and for that I give him my highest respect. He was a truly good man and, of course, will be greatly missed. He was also very consequential, far more than most Presidents, after he left the Oval Office. Warmest condolences from Melania and I to his wonderful family!”

Meanwhile, per Raw Story, there was anger among some Trump fans that he had issued such a conciliatory statement initially about Carter’s death. But these were not, for the most part, significant or prominent MAGA figures.

“lol , I know you’re being nice,” a Truth Social user named Theodore Winters wrote on the platform Monday. “But you’re tripping. 😂 Carter was a terrible president and damaged The United States Of America to such an extent that we are STILL dealing with his horribly policy decisions and his inflation repercussions in 2024. 🤦🏻‍♂️ I get it. He just passed. And we have to be respectful and nice. But let’s still keep it real.”

Featured image via screengrab