Trump's Praise Of Carter In Death After Jeering Him In Life Deepens A Contradictory Relationship

Living to 100 let Jimmy Carter fulfill his wish to vote for Democratic Vice President Kamala Harris against Republican Donald Trump in November. His death means flags at the White House will be at half-staff when Trump regains the presidency on Jan. 20.

Starkly different in their political beliefs and personal lives, in their actions as president and after leaving office, Carter and Trump will again be intertwined as the memory and legacy of one linger while the other is inaugurated for a second time. It'll be another example of how the two have continued to overlap in often contradictory ways, even though their terms were separated by nearly 40 years.

Trump singled out Carter for intense criticism during the 2024 campaign, repeatedly mocking him to fire up supporters. He called President Joe Biden "the worst" but said he made Carter look "brilliant" by comparison. He even delivered the line on Carter's 100th birthday in October.

The president-elect also promised to use his second term to undo some of Carter's signature accomplishments. He wants to roll back environmental protections , potentially renege on a 1977 treaty ceding control of the Panama Canal back to its home country and dismantle the federal Department of Education that Carter helped create in 1979.

Yet Trump is planning to attend Carter's funeral , and his statement marking the former president's passing was gracious. He wrote: "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."