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Former President Jimmy Carter Dead At 100. Aired 6-7p ET

Aired December 29, 2024 - 18:00   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

[18:00:31]

ANNOUNCER: This is CNN Breaking News.

WOLF BLITZER, CNN HOST: And you are in the CNN NEWSROOM. We want to welcome our viewers here in the United States and around the world. I'm Wolf Blitzer in New York.

We begin with the breaking news, a global outpouring right now of grief and remembrance as the former U.S. president, Jimmy Carter, is dead at the age of 100. Over at the White House the American flag hangs at half-staff right now to honor the 39th president.

President Carter was surrounded by his family at his home in Plains, Georgia, when he passed away earlier today after nearly two years in hospice care. The former peanut farmer served just one term as president from 1977 to 1981. Four years marked by both profound success and abject failure.

President Carter forged an unprecedented and lasting Middle East peace deal between Israel and Egypt. He formalized relations with Communist China and put human rights at the forefront of U.S. foreign policy. But his presidential legacy was forever scarred by the 444-day hostage crisis in Iran, where student revolutionaries there took dozens of Americans hostage in Iran, holding them captive until the day after President Carter left office.

Despite that failure, President Carter's legacy only grew after he left office as he transformed into a globetrotting elder statesman and human rights pioneer during his 43 working retirement. Forever changing the concept of life after the White House. He founded the Carter Presidential Center seen here in these live images from Atlanta. And for the past four decades, the Carter Center has monitored hotspot elections around the world and helped battle poverty and homelessness around the world as well, winning him a Nobel Peace Prize back in 2002.

President Carter described his time in the White House as the highlight of his political career, but said he would not have traded another four years as president for the joy he felt in working with the Carter Center, describing himself, and I'm quoting him now, "as blessed as any human being in the world."

The impact of President Carter's global policy has certainly been felt long after he left the White House. Here's a report from CNN's Nic Robertson. (BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JIMMY CARTER, 39TH PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: I, Jimmy Carter, do solemnly swear.

NIC ROBERTSON, CNN INTERNATIONAL DIPLOMATIC EDITOR (voice-over): Jimmy Carter's presidency lived in the shadow of America's Cold War with the Soviet Union. But he refused to be constrained by East-West, communist versus capitalist tensions.

CARTER: We expect that normalization will help to move us together toward a world of diversity and of peace.

ROBERTSON: He improved relations with China and tried for the same with the Soviets. In his foreign policies, he pushed for nuclear nonproliferation, democratic values, and human rights. He cut off military supplies to Chilean dictator Augusto Pinochet and dialed back support for other Latin American leaders in Nicaragua, Argentina and Brazil.

One of his signature White House legacies was the Torrijos-Carter treaties that returned the Panama Canal to Panama in 1999. He also calmed Mideast tensions, brought together Israeli and Arab leaders at Camp David, opening the door to the Israeli-Egypt Camp David Accords. He normalized relations with China, weakened U.S. ties to Taiwan in a vain hope Beijing would weaken ties with Moscow.

But after the Soviet Union invaded Afghanistan in December 1979, the last year of his presidency, he toughened his Soviet stance, backed the Afghan Mujahideen in a war against the Red Army. The same year, 1979 Islamic Revolution in neighboring Iran dealt Carter a double domestic blow, spiked oil prices and led to a humiliating failed raid, Operation Eagle Claw in April 1980 to rescue Americans captured by the theocratic revolutionaries in Tehran.

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CARTER: I can't stand here tonight and say it doesn't hurt.

ROBERTSON: Events overseas contributed to his 1980 election loss.

CARTER: The people of the United States have made their choice. And of course, I accept that decision.

ROBERTSON: But out of office and the limelight, his global peace making grew. In 1994, he was the first former U.S. president to visit North Korea, met Kim Il-sung, the grandfather of today's leader Kim Jong-un, at a time of U.S.-North Korean tensions. Won concessions on North Korea's nuclear program, dialing back tensions for a decade.

But 1994 was his big year of high profile peacemaking. In September, he went to Haiti. Raoul Cedras, the Caribbean nation's unpopular leader, was holed up in Port-au-Prince. Carter convinced him to step down quite literally, as the U.S. 82nd Airborne troops were inbound aboard Black Hawk helicopters ready to remove Cedras by force. Carter won the day, save lives. The U.S. troops landed as de facto peacekeepers.

And later that year Carter went to the dark heart of Bosnia's violent ethnic civil war, met the nationalist Serbs in their mountain stronghold Pale, tried to stop their bloody, murderous siege and shelling of the capital Sarajevo, bringing an end to the killing that claimed hundreds of thousands of lives during horrific ethnic cleansing. Success came slowly in steps. Carter helped initiate a short Christmas ceasefire and by his presence, pushed the horrific conflict toward greater international attention.

RICHARD HOLBROOKE, FORMER UNITED STATES AMBASSADOR TO THE UNITED NATIONS: We have work to do. We have to go back to it now. Thank you very much.

ROBERTSON: Less than a year later, another U.S. diplomat, Richard Holbrooke, parlayed Carter's brief calm into the war-ending Dayton Peace Accords.

1994 marked a peak in Carter's peacemaking, but far from the end of it. He helped found a group of seasoned international diplomats known as "The Elders," whose works span the Mideast and far beyond. He helped the charity Habitat for Humanity change lives, building affordable homes, often showing up to help with construction himself.

In 2002, he was awarded a Nobel Peace Prize for decades of untiring effort to find peaceful solutions to international conflicts, to advance democracy and human rights, and to promote economic and social development.

It was a path he'd picked. A post-presidency with meaning, and he followed it right up to his death.

Nic Robertson, CNN, London.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BLITZER: And thanks to Nic for that excellent, excellent report.

We're getting reaction from the current and former presidents about the passing of Jimmy Carter right now. President Joe Biden had this to say about President Carter's passing.

Today America and the world lost an extraordinary leader, statesman and humanitarian. Over six decades we had the honor of calling Jimmy Carter a dear friend. But what's extraordinary about Jimmy Carter, though, is that millions of people throughout America and the world who never met him thought of him as a dear friend as well. With his compassion and moral clarity, he worked to eradicate disease, forge peace, advance civil rights and human rights, promote free and fair elections, house the homeless, and always advocate for the least among us.

He saved, lifted and changed the lives of people all across the globe. He was a man of great character and courage, hope and optimism. We will always cherish seeing him and Rosalynn together. The love shared between Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter is the definition of partnership, and their humble leadership is the definition of patriotism. We will miss them both dearly, but take solace knowing they are reunited once again and will remain forever in our hearts. That from the president of the United States.

To the entire Carter family, he adds, we send our gratitude for sharing them with America and the world. To their staff, from the earliest days to the final ones, we have no doubt that you will continue to do the good works that carry on their legacy. And to all of the young people in this nation, and for anyone in search of what it means to live a life of purpose and meaning, the good life, study Jimmy Carter, a man of principle, faith and humility.

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He showed that we are a great nation because we are a good people, decent and honorable, courageous and compassionate, humble and strong. To honor a great American, I will be ordering an official state funeral to be held in Washington, D.C. for James Earl Carter, Jr., 39th president of the United States, 76th governor of Georgia, lieutenant of the United States Navy, graduate of the U.S. Naval Academy, and favorite son of Plains, Georgia, who gave his full life in service to God and country.

Meanwhile, President-elect Trump said, and I'm quoting him, "I just heard of the news about the passing of President Jimmy Carter. Those of us who have been fortunate to have served as president understand this is a very exclusive club, and only we can relate to the enormous responsibility of leading the greatest nation in history. The challenges Jimmy faced as president came at a pivotal time for our country, and he did everything in his power to improve the lives of all Americans.

For that, we all owe him a debt of gratitude. 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.

Former president Barack Obama also had this to say about President Carter. He said that President Carter taught all of us what it means to live a life of grace, dignity, justice, and service. Michelle and I send our thoughts and prayers to the Carter family and everyone who loved and learned from this remarkable man.

Former president Clinton had this to say. Hillary and I mourn the passing of President Jimmy Carter and give thanks for his long, good life. Guided by his faith, President Carter lived to serve others until the very end, and from his commitment to civil rights as a state senator and governor of Georgia, to his efforts as president to protect our natural resources in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, make energy conservation a national priority, return the Panama Canal to Panama, and secure peace between Egypt and Israel at Camp David to his post-presidential efforts at the Carter center, supporting honest elections, advancing peace, combating disease and promoting democracy.

To his and Rosalynn's devotion and hard work at Habitat for Humanity, he worked tirelessly for a better, fairer world. Hillary and I met President Carter in 1975 and we're proud early supporters of his presidential campaign. I will always be proud to have presented the Medal of Freedom to him and Rosalynn in 1999, and to have worked with him in the years after he left the White House. Our prayers are with Jack, Chip, Jeff, Amy and their families.

And former President Bush said this. James Earl Carter Jr. was a man of deeply held convictions. He was loyal to his family, his community and his country. President Carter dignified the office and his efforts to leave behind a better world didn't end with the presidency. His work with Habitat for Humanity and the Carter Center set an example of service that will inspire Americans for generations. We join our fellow citizens in giving thanks for Jimmy Carter and in prayer for his family.

With me now is Larry Sabato, the director of the Center of Politics at the University of Virginia.

Larry, thanks so much for joining us. What is President Jimmy Carter's legacy, in your view? And you see pieces of his work in the Democratic Party today.

LARRY SABATO, DIRECTOR, CENTER FOR POLITICS, UNIVERSITY OF VIRGINIA: Well, absolutely. He tried to move the party more toward the center, and he succeeded in 1976, which is one way he won a relatively narrow victory over the incumbent president, Gerald Ford. Of course, what happens is when you do that, there's a counter revolution within the Democratic Party, which I think Democrats are going to experience again.

Now, when you move it to the center, the left gets upset. In Carter's case, it was Senator Ted Kennedy from Massachusetts who challenged him in the primaries and was one reason, one of several, as to why Jimmy Carter was not reelected.

But, Wolf, to me, the important point is Jimmy Carter is often called the best ex-president. That is, his ex-presidency was terrific. It was much better than his presidency. Well, that's half right. He had a terrific ex-presidency. He also had a very solid presidency. And I think the ratings for Jimmy Carter will rise with time. This often happens.

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Harry Truman was rated a failure leaving the White House in early 1953. By unanimous consent, he's now rated at least near great in the historical pantheon of presidents. So I think he did a lot. Jimmy Carter did a lot. He was way ahead of his time in many respects. And when he took action, he was willing to take on the tough issues.

Who in the world would want to deal with the Middle East and would try to bring the prime minister of Israel and the president of Egypt together and work out those Camp David Accords? And there are many other cases of that, like the Panama Canal treaties, by the way, which have now come into the news again.

And finally, Wolf, and you know this because you watched him, he was dedicated to the public's interest. He wasn't interested in making himself wealthy or his family members wealthy. And his presidency was just four years. It was the midpoint of his life. He had half of his life to go when he left the presidency. And I can't see where he wasted a day.

BLITZER: You know, it's really -- it brings back a lot of memories. Everything, Larry, that you're saying, I was fortunate enough to cover the Camp David Peace Accords when he met with President Anwar Sadat and Prime Minister Menachem Begin at Camp David. I was there at Camp David watching it all unfold. I got to tell you, when it started, I didn't think it had much of a chance of success.

But a few days later, after he wrapped it up and made peace, and the Israel and Egypt signed a peace treaty on the North Lawn of the White House shortly thereafter, it was really an amazing moment in my career watching it unfold, and I'm sure for so many, not only in the Middle East but around the world.

In the last few years, Larry, Jimmy Carter actually wrote openly about fearing for our democracy here in the United States. What was it about Carter's brand of politics that went so dramatically out of favor in our national politics today?

SABATO: Well, you remember, Wolf, the crisis of confidence speech that Carter delivered in the summer July of 1979, in which he tried to tell Americans that our democracy depended on compromise, us working together, us staying together as Americans even when we disagreed. Well, it wasn't popular then. People thought he was trying to blame Americans for the problems that were evident both in foreign affairs and domestically.

There's a great deal of that today when you try to solve the general problem of democracy, people end up saying, well, you're just giving an excuse for why you're inadequate when the inadequacy really does apply to all of us. Also, you know, back then, I think we cared a lot more about virtue in high office, quite obviously, without getting into any details, we don't care about that anymore.

BLITZER: Certainly it was an amazing moment when I saw Anwar Sadat shaking hands with Menachem Begin as Jimmy Carter brought them together to sign the peace treaty between Israel and Egypt. It was such a powerful moment and Jimmy Carter deserves so much credit for that. That peace treaty, by the way, the relationship between Israel and Egypt still exists. Diplomatic relations, the two countries have embassies in their respective countries. So it's a very, very significant.

Larry Sabato, thank you so much for joining us.

And we'll have much more of our special breaking news coverage straight ahead. Jimmy Carter, the 39th president of the United States, has died at the age of 100.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[18:22:22] BLITZER: The world right now is mourning the death of former U.S. president Jimmy Carter, but none more than those in his home state of Georgia.

CNN's Rafael Romo is joining us from Atlanta right now getting reaction.

Rafael, how is the state of Georgia remembering the former president?

RAFAEL ROMO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Wolf, as you can imagine, Jimmy Carter was admired and respected across the country and the world, but nothing can compare to the love and pride that the people of Georgia felt towards the 39th president. There's just such love, such pride for both the former president and his wife, the late Rosalynn Carter.

And we're standing here outside the Carter Center. And that's one of the reasons why many people describe Jimmy Carter as the best former president of the United States. And this center allowed them, Wolf, to be able to continue working on some of the causes that were near and dear to his heart, fighting for democracy, fighting against diseases in developing countries, and so many causes not only on this side of the world, but around the world that allowed him to focus on after he left the White House.

And we're also hearing from the political leadership here in the state of Georgia expressing their thoughts, their feelings, their condolences after the passing of the 39th president. For example, Governor Brian Kemp said in a statement the following about Carter, he says, as the only American president thus far to come from Georgia, he showed the world the impact our state and its people have on the country. And as a son of Plains, he always valued Georgians and the virtues of our state, choosing to return to his rural home after his time in public office.

We have also heard from Senator Jon Ossoff, who said, among his lifetime of service and countless accomplishments, President Carter will be remembered for his commitment to democracy and human rights, his enduring faith, his philanthropic leadership, and his deep love of family. Senator Raphael Warnock called Carter one of his heroes, while he says his leadership was driven by love. His life's project grounded in compassion and a commitment to human dignity.

Before I finish, Wolf, let me also tell you that we saw in the last few minutes a man who dropped by and he wanted to place a bouquet of flowers at the sign here at the Carter Center, just to honor the memory of the former president. Earlier, somebody left a couple of candles that they lit.

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And so that gives you an idea of what I was telling you at the beginning, that deep love and pride that people here in Georgia felt towards the former president -- Wolf.

BLITZER: Very important and very beautiful words. Thank you very, very much. Rafael Romo over at the Carter Presidential Center in Georgia. Rafael,

thank you very, very much.

And we're going to continue our breaking news coverage on the death of the late president of the United States, Jimmy Carter, dead at 100 years old.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BLITZER: We continue to follow the breaking news. The former U.S. president Jimmy Carter is dead at the age of 100. Over at the White House, the American flag hangs at half-staff to honor the 39th president.

President Carter was surrounded by his family at his home in Plains, Georgia, when he passed away earlier today after nearly two years, two years in hospice care. The former peanut farmer served just one term as president from 1977 to 1981.

With me now CNN contributor and author Kai Bird, who wrote a biography of Jimmy Carter entitled "The Outlier: The Unfinished Presidency of Jimmy Carter."

Kai, thanks very much for joining us. Thanks very much for all your important work. If we can start with the big picture right now, how would you describe Jimmy Carter's legacy and how do you think he should be remembered?

KAI BIRD, CNN CONTRIBUTOR: Decency. That's one word that just describes Jimmy Carter's legacy in the White House and outside the White House. And I will just pick up on what your previous guest, Larry Sabato, said, which I was sort of stunned by, in a way.

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He pointed out that he was a man of virtue, and yet he then went on, Larry went on to say, well, we don't seem to care very much about virtue in this country anymore in our politicians. And that's a shocking thing to say. And, you know, when you're talking about Jimmy Carter, he was a virtuous man, a man of faith. He had no inkling of corruption. You know, you can't imagine a sex scandal around Jimmy Carter or indictments or anything of that sort.

And people at the time, I think, valued that. But I think Larry Sabato is on to something when he points out that we don't seem to care anymore about virtue, and that's a sad thing. And I think Jimmy Carter would, you know, be talking about virtue and decency if he was still with us today.

BLITZER: Yes. Good point. How did Jimmy Carter's humble roots -- he grew up on a peanut farm in Plains, Georgia, how did that influence his presidency and the way he went about the business of politics throughout his life?

BIRD: Well, that's a good point. You know, he grew up in Plains. His early childhood friends were only African-Americans, the sons and daughters of sharecroppers who worked on his father's land. And so he identified very easily with African-Americans, with black churches. He could go into a black church and give a sermon that resonated, culturally speaking, to African-Americans in a southern Baptist church.

He could do the same thing in a white church. He, you know, he didn't have a racial bone in his body, but he was a southern man. He was from the deep south, from South Georgia, but he was a liberal southern man. And this was a very unusual thing in the '50s and '60s when he began to become politically active. So he's a very unusual politician.

BLITZER: Yes, very, very good points indeed. And I can confirm all of that as well. Your excellent biography of President Carter is entitled "The Outlier," the outlier. What made Jimmy Carter such an outlier, and how did that become so prominent a part of his identity as president?

BIRD: Well, I thought the title of the book was very apt because he was an outlier in everything he did. You know, from the time he was in public school in Plains, Georgia, he was always the brightest boy in the room, very well-read. You know, his mother, Miss Lillian, who was a very colorful character in her own right, at the dinner table, she required her offspring to sit there and have a book. They didn't talk at the dinner table. They read.

And, you know, so Jimmy Carter was an intellectual even as a child. And he really was, as the president, an extraordinarily well-read, hard-working executive. You know, he read 200 to 300 memos every day in the White House. He got in there at the Oval Office by 6:30 or 7:00 at the latest, and he would work until 6:00 or 7:00 and then take a break for dinner and then come back. And, you know, he put in really long hours trying to pay attention to detail.

And again, this seems to be something that's no longer valued by American voters and our politicians. You would think that we would want to have hardworking, decent, virtuous politicians who were intellectuals and well-read and experts, and willing to acquire expertise on the issues. And that seems to have gone by the wayside in the decades since Jimmy Carter left the White House.

BLITZER: And the subtitle of your book refers to his presidency as, quote, "unfinished." Unfinished. What do you see as the political project that Jimmy Carter never got to finish?

BIRD: Well, there are many things. You know, I mentioned earlier that he seems to have been very prophetic on the issues that he chose. Climate change, race, healthcare, energy, dealing with the Palestinian-Israeli conflict, dealing with revolutionary Iran.

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You know, these are all issues that we're still dealing with today in 2024. And I think, looking back to answer your question, I think his greatest regret is, you know, it's odd, it's Camp David. It's his biggest victory, his biggest accomplishment, his personal diplomacy at Camp David that brought the Camp David Peace Accords to fruition. But he failed to actually get Menachem Begin to act on what he thought

he had achieved at Camp David, which was not only Egyptian-Israeli peace, a cold peace, but still nevertheless a peace. But Carter thought he had gotten an agreement from Menachem Begin to have a freeze on the settlements of Jewish settlements in the West Bank, and Carter, you know, thought for decades afterwards that this was becoming a major impediment to peace, to the creation of a two-state solution.

And here we are today, where the West Bank is, dotted with hundreds of little settlements and 700,000 settlers in all together. And it's going to make it much more difficult to find a reconciliation between these two peoples. And I think this is probably Jimmy Carter's deepest regret because he really invested personally in trying to bring peace to what he called the Holy Land.

BLITZER: Yes, he really thought that if he could achieve a peace between Israel and Egypt, Israel's largest and militarily speaking most powerful neighbor, that would result in peace throughout the region. But clearly that didn't happen. And you make some important points indeed.

Kai Bird, thank you very much for sharing some history with all of us.

And our breaking news will continue. When we come back, Jimmy Carter, the oldest living president, has died at the age of 100. More on his time in the Oval Office and the impact he had after leaving the White House. Lots more coming up when we come back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

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BLITZER: All right. We're following the breaking news this hour. The former president of the United States, Jimmy Carter, the small town peanut farmer who went on to a life of global humanitarianism, has died at the age of 100. The 39th president of the United States had been in hospice care since last year. And it's true that people are reacting very, very fondly of the late president.

And we've just been told that President Biden will make a statement on camera right at the top of the hour, 7:00 p.m. Eastern. He's on vacation in Saint Croix, but will make a statement honoring Jimmy Carter right at the top of the hour. We'll, of course, have live coverage of that.

And as we look at Jimmy Carter's legacy, I want to bring in Kate Andersen Brower, the CNN contributor and the author of the important book "Team of Five."

Kate, you've written about the Carters, Jimmy Carter and Rosalynn Carter quite a bit in your career. Jimmy Carter and the first lady, his first lady, Rosalynn Carter, they were a true team as much as any couple who ever occupied the White House. And I assume you agree with that. How do you see their collective legacy? KATE ANDERSEN BROWER, CNN CONTRIBUTOR: You know, and Kai said this

earlier, it really is decency. It's also professionalizing roles within the White House. Rosalynn Carter is the first first lady to have an office in the East Wing. She is the first first lady to have a real platform. She chose mental health. She would meet with Jimmy Carter in the Oval Office once a week. She, of course, campaigned for him during the hostage crisis, when he was really kept in the Rose Garden in the White House.

He wasn't, you know, able to freely campaign around the country. It was Rosalynn who did that for him. So they were a true team. He called her an extension of himself. And I think one thing that we haven't talked about with President Carter that I think is important to remember, and this goes to his Christianity and forgiveness, which I think he deeply believed in, is his friendship with Gerald Ford.

Of course, the two of them were not close at the beginning. They were rivals, and it was actually during a 1981 trip to Anwar Sadat's funeral, a really interesting plane ride that Ford, Nixon and Carter took. And it was on the way back, actually, that Ford and Carter started talking and getting to know one another, and they formed a lifelong bond. In fact, Jimmy Carter gave the eulogy at Gerald Ford's funeral.

And I don't think anyone could have seen that coming. But they went beyond politics. And it is this idea that it's about decency, friendship, common goals that bound them together. And I think it's an important thing to remember about Jimmy Carter.

BLITZER: Very, very important indeed. And in your book, "Team of Five," you took a close look at how each of the surviving former presidents went on in public life after leaving the White House. How did President Carter distinguish himself? And he really did in his post-White House career.

ANDERSEN BROWER: You know, he was, as you know, Wolf, in his mid-50s when he left the White House and he wasn't sure what he was going to do. And then he kind of had this epiphany that he wanted to create the Carter Center to get involved and remain involved in international affairs. Not only in election monitoring, but also he branched out into making sure there was clean water available in different parts of the world.

He also wanted to act as an emissary. You know, he went to North Korea, as you've discussed earlier. And up until 2018, he was still interested in then President Trump sending him to North Korea. And actually, I learned in my reporting for my book that President Trump called Jimmy Carter in the spring of 2019 and asked him for advice. Talked about China and trade, and it was a brief conversation, but it gives you a little insight into what Jimmy Carter was like.

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He was at a friend's house, a friend in Plains, Jill Stuckey, with a paper plate going around at a buffet table, buffet line, and he gets a call from the White House. He steps out, takes the call. Ten minutes later, he comes back and gets his food and sits down, and says, you know, it was fine. He was just a completely down-to-earth person. And I don't think we see that very much anymore with our politicians.

BLITZER: And I can certainly say in all the times I spent with the Jimmy Carter in interviews down in Plains, Georgia, or here in Washington or elsewhere around the world, he was very much down-to- earth indeed.

Kate Andersen Brower, thanks very much for your analysis. We really appreciate it.

And we'll take a quick break. Much more of our special coverage coming up right after this.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[18:50:12]

BLITZER: Our breaking news. Former president Jimmy Carter has died at the age of 100. The Georgia peanut farmer, who went on to take the Oval Office before becoming a force for peace and human rights around the world. He was surrounded by family as he passed away after nearly two years in hospice.

I want to bring in CNN senior political analyst Ron Brownstein right now.

Ron, what will Jimmy Carter's most enduring legacy be from your perspective?

RON BROWNSTEIN, CNN SENIOR POLITICAL ANALYST: Well, I think the most enduring legacy for him personally will be his post-presidential role. I mean, he really invented the role of a president after his term becoming a citizen of the world.

What is what is the title of Bill Clintons new memoir, Wolf? It's "Citizen." And you know, that was not really there before Jimmy Carter. Harry Truman, Dwight Eisenhower, Lyndon Johnson, they kind of all went home to the farm after the presidency. And Carter created a new model of post-presidential engagement that I think is going to outlive not only him, but all of us.

You know, our last two presidents, our current president and our next president will leave office in their 80s. It may not be that relevant for them, but for others, it's going to be. I think, politically, in many ways, he was, as I've said to you before, a comma, he was the brief interruption in a long period of Republican dominance of the White House. They won every other presidential election, but his between 1968 and 1988.

And in many ways, he was a figure ahead of his time. I mean, he recognized that the nature of the two-party coalitions were changing, and the Democratic Party had to reposition itself on a whole bunch of issues. But he was unable to bring enough of the party with him to the point where many of his key legislative priorities were frustrated and blocked by conservative Democrats in the House and the Senate. And then he got a primary challenge from the left, from Ted Kennedy in

1980, who thought that he moved too far to the center. But in some ways, I think he pre-dated and pre-figured some of the reforms that Bill Clinton brought to the party and other southern governor in the 1990s. A transitional figure in the Democratic Party, an important figure in reshaping the role of the president, and also an important cultural figure.

BLITZER: Yes. Good point. Even -- I think you agree with me that even Carter's political opponents would concede that he was a man driven by a very strong moral compass. Is that missing from our politics today in your view?

BROWNSTEIN: Yes. I mean, Kai Bird was right. I mean, you know, and Larry Sabato, who you talked to before, I mean, you know, Jimmy Carter ran in 1976 after Watergate, and his campaign slogan was a government as good as the American people, you know. And I think I remember he walked, you know, didn't have the limo during the presidential inaugural parade and in many ways tried to bring the presidency back to earth after what people called the imperial presidency of Richard Nixon.

And he was someone whose decency was kind of manifest in everything that he did. And, of course, in his -- in the decades he spent after his presidency, not so much enriching himself as trying to, you know, help other people. But people hire the president, above all, to do a job. And Carter, for all his, you know, unquestioned decency, was soundly defeated in 1980 because most Americans thought his term had failed.

Certainly character, you know, people have many doubts about, say, Donald Trump. But still, there are enough voters who will say, even if I don't agree with -- even if I don't look fondly on this person, is not someone I admire, not someone I want my kids to emulate, they want the president to do, you know, to perform certain jobs. And Carter seemed, in the final months of his presidency, almost overmatched by inflation at home and the Iranian hostage crisis abroad. And that led to his, you know, pretty resounding defeat.

BLITZER: And Ronald Reagan's words, are you better off today than you were four years ago?

BROWNSTEIN: Yes.

BLITZER: And that 444 days of American diplomats being held hostage by Iranians in Tehran clearly did not help his bid for reelection as he sought another term.

What is the lesson, the main lesson that President-elect Trump and other world leaders you think can take away from Jimmy Carter's diplomacy?

BROWNSTEIN: Yes. You know, I mean, look, he was somewhat I mean, he really was -- I think, and you could even speak more to this than I can, but he was someone pretty much at the opposite end of the spectrum from Donald Trump. I mean, because Carter thought America's power in the world was rooted in the power of America's example. Right?

And that standing for transcendent ideals that, you know, kind of did not end at national borders of human rights and decency and democracy, although we inevitably had to make compromises, was the way to enhance our influence in the world.

[18:55:09]

Trump is at the furthest opposite end of that in seeing all international relations, even with allies, as transactional. But Carter, you know, was in many ways a pragmatist, too. I mean, he, you know, ended the kind of isolation, Nixon had begun it. But he, you know, he further integrated China into the international system, which was obviously not a, you know, a government that upheld the ideals that he talked about.

But I do think that Carter kind of represented almost a more Wilsonian vision that the power of America's example. You know, America's power was rooted in the power of its example. Trump utterly rejects that and essentially says that every international relation, whether it's with an ally or an adversary, is fundamentally transactional and that you basically leverage things by threatening people, as he's been doing, you know, kind of on a broad scale, from Panama to Greenland to Canada and Mexico with tariffs.

BLITZER: Ron Brownstein, excellent, excellent analysis. Thank you very, very much.

And later tonight, an important note, we'll have much more on the passing of the 39th president of the United States. My one-hour special, "REMEMBERING JIMMY CARTER," it's a documentary, airs at 10:00 p.m. Eastern tonight only here on CNN.

Once again, we're waiting to hear directly from President Biden on the passing of Jimmy Carter. He's about to make a statement while he's on vacation in Saint Croix. We'll have live coverage of that right when we come back.

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