Carter and Trump: A study in contrasts

This past week, Washington DC witnessed a stark study in contrasts: The solemn dignity of the nation’s farewell to former president Jimmy Carter and the blustery antics accompanying former President Donald Trump’s impending return to the White House. 

Two men couldn’t be more different than Carter and Trump. Recent newspaper headlines virtually screamed across the front page at each other. One read “Celebrating a ‘servant of the people’,  with the subhead “As Carter arrived in Washington, many gather to honor his humility and decency”. On the other side, “Trump won’t rule out coercion to expand US map”, with the subhead, “He eyes Panama Canal and Greenland”.

Americans mourning the death of one former president, who was praised for his service to others, humility, honesty and commitment to peace, democracy, and human rights, were also awaiting the return of another former president who was threatening to use coercion to “take over” foreign countries and pardon hundreds convicted of violently attempting to overturn the 2020 election.

Additional contrasts between the two men include: one was humble, the other always boastful; one devoted his life to others, the other a narcissist; one said “I will never lie to you” (and fact-checkers were unable to identify a single one), while fact-checkers have identified 33,000 falsehoods told by the other in just four years; one was faithful to his wife for 77 years—let’s just say that the other was not; one attributed his successes to others, the other boastfully claims everything for himself; and one was born in a small southern town and after his presidency returned to that simple life until his final days, the other was born into wealth in New York City and has surrounded himself with the trappings of ostentatious excess. 

Despite these obvious differences, there have some characteristics in common. First and foremost is the fact that both were elected president of the United States as insurgents and agents of change. In their respective eras, both understood and responded to a felt need in the public’s mood. Carter was elected while the nation was still reeling from the double traumas of Vietnam and the Nixon resignation. He parlayed his simple rural style to establish himself as the antithesis of a typical politician. He was comfortable and steady—just what voters were craving. Trump understood that many voters had been unsettled by social, economic, political, and cultural changes and were reeling from multiple traumas from 9/11 and the failed war in Iraq to the aftershocks of the 2008-9 economic collapse. Voters were wary of typical politicians who either didn’t understand or didn’t care about their anger. Carter promised honesty and an end to turbulence. Trump promised to shake things up at whatever the cost. 

Another factor that unites these two former presidents: They reflect two distinct sides of the American reality. We are a nation capable of doing great and good things. We are also a nation that has shown itself to be capable of doing evil. We have welcomed millions of refugees, provided humanitarian support to those suffering in the wake of catastrophic events, and have led efforts to support equality and human rights. At the same time, our nation was born with the original sins of slavery and genocide, continues to struggle with racism, has a xenophobic streak that periodically rears its head, and has committed or aided and abetted war crimes in countries including Vietnam, Iraq, Cuba and Palestine. 

We can never deny these two sides of our nation’s history and “personality”—both are who we have been. More importantly, both can be who we are today and who we can become in the future. If we allow ourselves to forget that the capacity for evil is always residing under the surface, we become vulnerable to its allure. If we forget our capacity to do good and great things, then we deny our ability to make things better and lose hope in our possibility to make change.

The funeral of Jimmy Carter just days away from the inauguration of Donald Trump has presented us with a choice and a challenge. Which path will we take, and which America will we become?