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Former PresidentJimmy Carteris calling outDonald Trumpfor his reaction to the death of Sen. John McCain.
Carter, who, like McCain, graduated from the U.S. Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland, added that Trump’s “early mistakes” in the matter have since been “adequately corrected.”
“I think both his (Trump’s) critics and also his supporters made it plain to him that he had made a mistake when the flag was up and down and so forth,” Carter said. “But I think that his last statement that I read yesterday has basically corrected that and now the flag will be lowered in honor of John McCain’s service to our country until the appropriate time. So, I think the early mistakes that had been made have been adequately corrected.”
McCain died at 81 on Saturday after discontinuing treatment for brain cancer. Trump, 72, reacted to the news that night in atwo-sentence tweetand also lowered White House flags to half-staff to honor the late senator.
But then — in what was widely considered a snub from the president — theThe White House‘sflags returned to full-staffon Monday, just two days after McCain’s death.
Later on Monday, Trump released a full statement on announcing that the White House flag would return to half-staff and that Vice President Mike Pence will represent his administration at McCain’s funeral services.
Carter, 93, acknowledged Trump’s turnaround in another interview with MSNBC on Tuesday, saying, “I think it was a very serious mistake Trump made, and his friends and opponents corrected him, I think, quite adequately.”
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The nation’s 39th president has until recently been less vocal than other former commanders in chief about the goings-on in the White House.
But in recent interviews, Carter has criticized the president and accused him of being dishonest.
Carter toldCBS Newson Tuesday, “I think it’s well-known that the incumbent president is very careless with the truth.
“I think I went through my campaign and my presidency without ever lying to the people or making a deliberately false statement, and I think that would be a very worthwhile thing to reinsert into politics these days,” he added.
Andin an interview withThe Washington Postpublished on Aug. 17, Carterseared Trump’s policies and character.
“I think he’s a disaster … In human rights and in treating people equal,” the former president said before his wife, former First Lady Rosalynn Carter, 91, jumped in. “The worst is that he is not telling the truth, and that just hurts everything,” she added.
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Carter told CBS News that in spite of his criticisms, he still wants Trump to succeed.
“I’m not here to criticize the incumbent president, just wish him well and I pray for him,” he said.
source: people.com
