America's Talking - Former President Jimmy Carter Dies at Age 100

Episode Date: January 4, 2025

(The Center Square) – Former President Jimmy Carter died on Sunday at his home in Plains, Ga. Carter on Oct. 1, 2024, became the first U.S. president to live to be 100. Commander in chief for four years after winning election in 1976 in the aftermath of President Richard Nixon's resignation followed by two years of President Gerald Ford, the Democrat is remembered for negotiating a peace treaty between Israel and Egypt, the Camp David Accords, and his post-presidential work for free elections, human rights and building homes for the poor with Habitat for Humanity. Carter also was president during the Iran hostage crisis, when a group of armed Iranian college students stormed the U.S. embassy in Tehran and held 53 American diplomats and citizens hostage for 444 days. The hostages were finally released on Jan. 20, 1981, the day President Ronald Reagan was sworn into office. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Hello and welcome to America in Focus, powered by the Center Square. I'm Dan McAulb, Chief Content Officer at Franklin News Foundation, publisher of the Center Square Newswire service. Jimmy Carter, the 39th President of the United States, who took office shortly after the tumultuous Nixon years, died Sunday, December 29th, 2024, at his home in Plains, Georgia. He was 100. Joining me to discuss this today is Casey Harper, Washington, D.C. Bureau Chief for the Center

Square. Casey, you weren't even born yet during Carter's presidency, but I know you've read about him. You studied up on him. First, tell us a little bit about his legacy, and then there's a state funeral plan for him. That's right. State funeral plan January 9th. Speaking to the Secret Service about that, about, you know, preparation for the inauguration. And of course, there's January 6th anniversary, there is the Jimmy Carter funeral and the inauguration. So a lot going on here in D.C. A lot of in the security efforts and all that. Of course, you know, be praying that that all goes well. But, you know, Jimmy Carter, a living legend, a one-term president, I think known by many today is maybe one line as a very liberal president who didn't get reelected. And Ronald Reagan kind of came to

undo his legacy. I think in many ways that's what people think. about Jimmy Carter. Of course, he was more complicated than that, more nuanced than that. And actually, I think a very interesting man, you know, while in the White House, he prioritized energy and energy efficiency. He famously, I don't know if you know this, but he famously kept the White House very hot because he didn't want to turn on the air conditioning to waste energy. And so kind of trying to set this example as he pushed for a new era of energy. And while I think, you know, some of the things he did were misguided in that regard, in a lot of ways he was ahead of his time because, you know, an energy revolution was coming. Of course, we're still very reliant on fossil fuels and I don't think that's going to change in this administration. But, you know, we have seen the transition. We've seen the rise of electric vehicles since his presidency. We have seen, you know, the rise of other alternative energies. And so I think in many ways, Jimmy Carter was mocked for this. And some of his ways of going about it were misguided, as I said.

But he was sort of prophetic in seeing that this was a problem that needed to be addressed. Just some, you know, personal details. Of course, he was born in 1924, playing in Georgia. He joined the Navy and graduated top 10% of his class in 1946, of course, just after World War II. But he left the military to save his peanut farm. He was famously a peanut farmer. That's when he got involved in local politics and started working his way up. I think he was often sort of an underestimated, unlikely candidate.

But he made his way all the way to top, you know, brand for state senate. Election after election was able to piece together this political career and won the White House and eventually a Nobel Prize in 2002. Yeah, I also served as Georgia's 76 governor. Casey, while you weren't alive yet, I was in elementary school during Jimmy Carter's years. And just based on memory, the two things I remember the most. One, you know, after Richard Nixon resigned during the Watergate scandal and the impeachment proceedings against him, Gerald Ford, his vice president took office, four ran against Jimmy Carter. And just because of the scandal that surrounded Nixon, didn't surround Ford, but Ford was sort of a victim of that. Carter beat Ford. But then a lot of not so great things happened. There wasn't an energy crisis, gasoline prices, sword.

And then the biggest memory I have, of course, of Jimmy Carter's years as president was the Iran hostage crisis. I was, as I said, I was an elementary school. and we made and put up American flags throughout the classroom in support of the hostages. 53 American diplomats and citizens were held hostage for 444 days. Beyond that, though, I think Carter really was known more for his post-presidential years and the humanitarian volunteer work that he did through Habitat from Humanity, building homes for the poor, for the poor, fighting for free elections across the world, not necessarily in the United States and human rights across the world.

I think his legacy is more than his presidency. It's really, you got to include that post-presidential work that he did. Absolutely. I mean, he was known as a philanthropist and not just the kind, you know, the wealthy guy who writes checks from his home, but the guy who actually gets involved and does things on the ground. and makes it personal. I mean, you know, you referenced, I think you referenced the habit of humanity, but just the idea of a president doing something like that. This is kind of the physical labor. That really does speak to it. It was another example that I referenced was the, you know,

the AC and the White House. And just, I think that was something very unique about Jimmy Carter. He personally, he made these big principles very personal. And it was not just the big separation always from the private life and the public life. He applied it, you know, personally. I think that really is tied to his Christian faith, which he was also kind of famous for. There was this sense of personal piety and devotion that he seemed very interested in and wanted a kind of consistency all the way from the core of who he was and his faith playing out through his politics.

And so I think that's why we see many of these. kind of philanthropy, the social interest that he took in these different projects. And so in many ways, you know, even if you don't agree with him politically, of course, he is someone that you can respect. And, you know, President Trump released a statement, basically to that effect. Maybe you might say uncharacteristically presidential for President Trump. But he did. He honored Jimmy Carter and just pointed to many of the things that we've we've spoken of now and said goodbye now that 100 years old. President Trump also says he will attend the state funeral again January 9th next week at Washington National Cathedral. President Biden, of course, is expected to be there.

And Americans across the country can pay their last respects. Casey, thank you for joining us today. Listeners can keep up with this story and more at the time. the center square.com.