President Donald Trump made headlines once again as he spoke in the Oval Office of the White House on Thursday, April 17, 2025. As he signed executive orders, he took the opportunity to criticize the previous administration led by former President Joe Biden, calling it the worst in American history.
During a meeting with the Italian prime minister, Trump did not hold back in his scathing remarks, stating that the Biden administration was “useless” and “incompetent.” He went on to compare it to the administration of former President Jimmy Carter, claiming that even Carter himself “died a happy man” knowing that his administration was better than Biden’s.
“They were useless. They were incompetent. Worst administration in the history of our country. Worse than Jimmy Carter,” Trump said, as he echoed similar sentiments that he had expressed during his 2024 campaign. He even mentioned his thoughts about Carter’s funeral in November 2023, where he believed that Carter was happy because he was not known as the worst president, unlike Biden.
“My wife attended the funeral two months ago of Rosalynn Carter, and it was beautiful and Jimmy Carter was there,” Trump said in January 2024. “And I thought to myself, Jimmy Carter is happy now because he will go down as being a brilliant president by comparison to Joe Biden … He’s gonna be known as brilliant!”
Trump’s words sparked controversy and backlash, especially since Carter was a one-term Democratic president who served from 1977 to 1981. However, this is not the first time that Trump has criticized Carter. In fact, in December 2024, when Carter passed away at the age of 100, Trump had tweeted that Carter was a “terrible president.”
But surprisingly, there have been moments where Trump has shown admiration for Carter. In 2019, the White House had stated that Trump “has always liked President Carter” after the two had a phone call about China. However, this admiration did not last long, as Trump once again took aim at Carter when the latter questioned the legitimacy of Trump’s election win in 2019.
In 2022, Carter wrote an op-ed for The New York Times, where he expressed his concerns about the upcoming election, which Trump eventually won. He warned about the potential civil conflict and the fragility of America’s democracy if immediate action was not taken. He also emphasized the importance of setting aside differences and working together as a nation.
“I now fear that what we have fought so hard to achieve globally—the right to free, fair elections, unhindered by strongman politicians who seek nothing more than to grow their own power—has become dangerously fragile at home,” Carter wrote.
Sadly, Carter did not live to see the outcome of the 2024 election. He passed away at the age of 100, outliving all other US presidents. However, his family revealed that his final wish was to be able to vote for former Vice President Kamala Harris, who ran a historic campaign against Trump. Luckily, Carter lived long enough to cast his vote for Harris, showing his unwavering belief in the democratic process.
Despite Trump’s harsh words towards Carter, the former president’s legacy and impact on American politics cannot be denied. He was a humanitarian and a peacemaker, receiving the Nobel Peace Prize in 2002 for his work in promoting democracy and human rights around the world. He also dedicated his post-presidency years to various charitable causes, including Habitat for Humanity.
In the end, President Trump’s remarks may have caused controversy, but they cannot diminish the legacy of a great leader like Jimmy Carter. As the nation mourned his passing, it was a reminder of the importance of working towards a united and peaceful future, just as Carter had envisioned. And as we move forward, let us remember the words of Carter’s final warning to the American people: “Without immediate action, we are at genuine risk of civil conflict and losing our precious democracy.”
