Political Panelists Slam Trump’s Iowa Rally Bizarre Remarks on Jimmy Carter’s ‘Happiness'

Donald Trump came under fire from a group of political panelists at a recent Iowa rally for making bizarre remarks about former President Jimmy Carter. The statements, made at a rally in Indianola, Iowa, garnered notice not just for their content but also for their timing, as they came only days before the key Iowa caucuses, which kick off the 2024 presidential race, reports Raw Story.

During his rally speech, Trump claimed that Carter was "a happy man right now" because he appeared clever compared to President Joe Biden's economic policies. He said, "I always say Jimmy Carter's the happiest man alive right now and it's good 'cause he's somewhat elderly, right? So what? My wife went to the funeral of Rosalynn two months ago," Trump said. "It was a beautiful funeral, but Jimmy Carter's a happy man right now because people are considering, compared to Biden, his presidency to be a brilliant..."

Ana Navarro, a former Republican strategist, slammed Trump's remarks, saying, "He has nothing to do with what Donald Trump is saying. But I guess he's got to fill up all of that time that he speaks with stupid things. And this is just one more of those today." The panelists seemed to agree that Trump's remarks were not only disrespectful but also lacked any connection between the two leaders.

Democratic strategist Paul Begala questioned the impact of Trump's words, especially in light of Jimmy Carter's recent loss—the death of his wife, Rosalynn. Begala indicated that Carter is probably not happy right now, considering the circumstances.

Molly Jong-Fast, a Vanity Fair special correspondent, agreed, suggesting that Trump may be seeking to draw parallels between Biden and Carter to weaken the current president's position. "So Trump is hoping, I think actually, that [Biden] will be defeated like Carter. I think that [Trump] may have heard a strategist talking to him about making Biden look like Carter," she said during a CNN appearance. Begala also criticized Trump's entire communication approach, calling it "verbal diarrhea." He emphasized Trump's supporters' fierce and fanatical allegiance, comparing them to a personality cult rather than a typical political campaign.

"You have this verbal diarrhea that Mr. Trump spews," Begala said. "And this — I think he's still poised for a very strong finish tomorrow," but Iowa is notorious for not picking presidents. "You're a strong supporter, you put a bumper sticker on. These folks have a flag — which I've never seen for a politician before. Those are the soft Trumps. The hard-core ones have neck tattoos that say 'make America great again,' g-r-a-t-e, misspelled. But some of them go to prison for Donald Trump."

The political conversation became even more acrimonious when Trump's remarks about Carter sparked outrage on social media. American Bridge 21st Century, a Democratic super PAC, blasted Trump's remarks as "disgusting" and noted that it was the former president's second weekend of mocking a former leader.

According to Newsweek, conservative lawyer and Trump critic George Conway uploaded the video on social media, using the hashtag #TrumpMentalHealth to highlight what he sees as cognitive difficulties in the former president. Other social media users were disgusted and slammed Trump's words, with one calling him "a piece of s***."