Political panel bashes Trump for bizarre Jimmy Carter is 'happy' remarks
President Trump concludes his campaign speech at the rally in the Bojangle's Coliseum. (Jeffery Edwards / Shutterstock.com)
January 14, 2024
A group of political panelists suggested that Trump should keep former President Jimmy Carter's name out of his mouth.
An all-star CNN panel walked through the upcoming 24 hours before the Iowa Caucus after Donald Trump took the stage in a rally with a much longer campaign speech than typically seen this cycle.
Among the attacks Trump made was against former President Carter, who recently lost his wife of 71 years and is on hospice care himself. Trump, who is four years younger than President Joe Biden, attempted to make a connection between the two presidents, but it was so inarticulate that the panelists questioned whether it was successful.
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"He has nothing to do with what Donald Trump is saying," said former Republican strategist Ana Navarro. "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."
"He's a happy man right now," Trump said of Carter, because he looks brilliant compared to Biden's economy.
Democratic strategist Paul Begala said that Carter probably isn't a happy man right now after losing his wife.
Molly Jong-Fast explained she agreed, noting that "Biden has created a soft landing in this economy. But he's not getting credit for it. So, Trump is hoping, I think actually, that he will be defeated like Carter."
"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.
"On a good day, 25 percent of Iowa Republicans participate in the caucus," he continued. The loyal and committed Trump supporters are more likely to come out in the minus10-degree cold.
"His followers are committed. I mean, some are incarcerated. I shouldn't laugh about it, but my god, they are the most fanatically loyal, devoted followers of any political figure I've ever seen. It's more of a cult of personality than a campaign. I suspect they love this stuff."
Begala went on to say that he's never seen anything like it before in politics.
"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."
"Trump said a lot of crazy stuff yesterday. Trump says a lot of crazy stuff all the time and then complains about how there's something wrong with Biden," quipped Jong-Fast. "And even that video of him walking back to his hotel looking exhausted, you know, he's two and a half years younger than Biden. So, it's kind of a glass house. I think the reason that Trump brought up Carter is because Trump is running in the general now, and he wants to make Biden sound like Carter because Carter was not re-elected, as opposed to Obama and Clinton."
Begala went on to suggest that if Nikki Haley truly wants to hit Trump, she should say that it doesn't matter whether Trump is innocent or guilty, "but we do know he's distracted." Right now, all he thinks about is himself, and Haley should say, "I'm going to focus on you."
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