Former President Trump mocked former President Carter on Monday during his Iowa caucus victory speech, appearing to take a dig at Carter in the wake of his wife’s death.
“My wife attended the funeral two months ago of Rosalynn Carter. And it was beautiful. Jimmy Carter was there,” Trump said. “I thought to myself, Jimmy Carter is happy now, because he will go down as a brilliant president by comparison to Joe Biden.”
Trump has shared the sentiment before, first using Carter to dig at President Biden in November and referencing Rosalynn Carter on Sunday.
Carter, 99 years old and in hospice care, lost his wife Rosalynn in November. Her funeral was attended by every living former first lady, as well as former President Clinton.
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Democratic advocacy organization American Bridge 21st Century denounced the Trump comments as “cruel” Tuesday.
“Donald Trump has operated the same way his entire four decades in public life,” spokesman Brandon Weathersby said in a statement. “He doesn’t care who he insults, disrespects, or offends as long as he gets his way in the end. Nothing is sacred or off-limits for Trump, not the dead, not American icons, not even some of our most decorated veterans or the memories of our war heroes.”
“This is the person to whom the Republican Party just handed the first state in its primary process and who, barring an act of God, will be their next nominee for president,” he added.