- Sputnik International
World
Get the latest news from around the world, live coverage, off-beat stories, features and analysis.

Guy Needs All the Help He Can Get: Jimmy Carter Says He Prays for Donald Trump

© AP Photo / Ross D. FranklinFormer US President Jimmy Carter
Former US President Jimmy Carter - Sputnik International
Subscribe
Appearing on the CBS Late Show, former US President Jimmy Carter admitted that the United States “apparently” wanted a “kind of jerk” for a president and said that he prays for current US President Donald Trump to keep the country at peace.

Talking to the 93-year old former president Friday, host Stephen Colbert noted that Carter, during his time as president, had an image of a "nice guy," while his predecessor Nixon acted like a "son of a bitch." Colbert noted that Carter has been criticized for his demeanor and asked whether US voters wanted "a kind of jerk" for their president.

"Apparently, from this recent election, yes," Carter replied, sparking laughter from the audience.

At the same time, Carter acknowledged that he prays for Trump.

"I pray that he'll be a good president and that he'll keep our country at peace; and that he'll refrain from using nuclear weapons and that he'll promote human rights," Carter said.

Former U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations John Bolton speaks on a mobile phone as he arrives for a meeting with U.S. President-elect Donald Trump at Trump Tower in New York, U.S., December 2, 2016 - Sputnik International
Jimmy Carter Calls Bolton's Nomination 'One of Trump's Worst Mistakes'
Later in the interview, the two recalled Carter's 1980 remark when Edward Kennedy was expected to run for the President, Carter was reported to have said: "I'll kick his ass," — an unimaginable colloquialism at that time. Carter acknowledged that he made the remark to an unnamed congressman, and that lawmaker later quoted the 39th president.

"But it is true, I did that," Carter admitted.

On a more serious note, Carter strongly criticized the use of US-imposed sanctions on foreign countries.

"When we impose sanctions, we become responsible for anything that goes wrong in that country," he said, noting that countries under sanction, including Cuba and North Korea, see burgeoning humanitarian problems, like food shortages, and US sanctions only make the problems more acute and "hurt the people."

Colbert displayed Carter's latest book, in which the former US president expressed concerns that racial and other cultural divisions among Americans have gotten worse since Trump was elected in 2016.

Newsfeed
0
To participate in the discussion
log in or register
loader
Chats
Заголовок открываемого материала