Jimmy Carter: Donald Trump is an illegitimate president
Raw video: Former President Jimmy Carter says that he believes Donald Trump lost the election and was put into office because Russia interfered on his behalf.
President Trump fired back at former President Jimmy Carter’s suggestion that he’s illegitimate president, saying Carter is “the forgotten president” who’s not only “trashed” by his own party but also remembered only as being “terrible” for the country.
Trump addressed the comments made by Carter during a news conference Saturday following the G-20 summit in Japan, saying that although Carter is “a nice man, he was a terrible president,” before noting that “he’s a Democrat and it’s a typical talking point.”
He added that Carter is “loyal to the Democrats” but “as everybody now understands, I won not because of Russia, not because of anybody but myself.”
“He's a nice man, he was a terrible president. He’s a Democrat and it’s a typical talking point.”
Carter said Friday at a Virginia forum that “I think a full investigation would show that Trump didn’t actually win the election in 2016.”
“He lost the election, and he was put into office because the Russians interfered on his behalf," he added. When asked if Trump was “illegitimate president,” Carter responded saying “Basically, what I just said, which I can’t retract.”
President Donald Trump speaks during a news conference following the G-20 summit in Osaka, Japan, Saturday, June 29, 2019. (Associated Press)
Trump said during the news conference that he “campaigned better, smarter, hotter than Hillary Clinton. I went to Wisconsin, I went to Michigan the night of the vote.”
"I won Michigan, I won Wisconsin, I won Pennsylvania, I won states that traditionally haven’t been won by Republicans for many years,” he continued. “This had nothing to do with anybody but the fact that I worked harder and much smarter than Hillary Clinton did.”
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The president added that he was “surprised” Carter made such comments but he also “felt bad” for him as he’s been attacked even by his own party.
“He’s been trashed within his own party, he’s been badly trashed. I felt bad for him because you look over the years, his party has virtually … he’s like the forgotten president,” Trump said. “And I understand why they say that.”
“He’s been trashed within his own party, he’s been badly trashed ... he’s like the forgotten president."
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“He was not a good president. Looked at what happened with Iran – that was a disaster. What Iran did to him, they tied him in knots. The reason Ronald Reagan probably became president.”
The 94-year-old Carter recently returned to public activities after undergoing surgery for a broken hip.
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