Just three days before the start of 2025, and about two months after his 100th birthday, the country coped with the passing of former President Jimmy Carter. Carter will always be remembered as a trailblazer, serving as a devout public servant, and paving the way for a variety of contemporary political causes like climate awareness and human rights. Furthermore, his term came at a crucial time in the country’s history, where — much like today — there was a faltering sense of trust between the government and the American people.
Following a few years of political turmoil and controversy, the nation sought an individual who embraced the humility and transparency that had once been a staple of the office, and the country selected Carter. Now, as the country deals with many similar problems, the people have reelected Donald Trump to the Oval Office — an individual who lacks all the modesty and warmth that made Carter stand out 50 years ago.
During their respective campaigns, both Carter and Trump ran as D.C. outsiders, promising to serve as honest alternatives to a lying, fraudulent and out-of-touch establishment. While this might have been his promise at the start, his multiple impeachments, various court proceedings and flagrant disregard for general decorum have shown that Trump is not interested in honesty or humility, but rather in cutting corners to hoard power and aggrandize his ego.
Even before the start of his political career, Trump had long been condemned for his greedy character and morally dubious personality. But, his disregard for ethics took on a whole new meaning after he launched his first campaign in 2015. Since then, the former president has frequently sowed doubt and fear amongst the populace by propagating lies and falsehoods. These methods have severely impacted the U.S. government’s credibility, leading many to feel as if the government no longer has their best interests in mind.
Trump’s perverse aversion to honesty and his attempts to weaponize the bureaucracy have led many to draw a comparison between Trump and another Republican president: Richard Nixon.
Nixon’s years as president were marked by constant bickering with the press, a gross overexertion of presidential authority and the large, looming shadow of the Watergate scandal, in which Nixon was discovered to have personally sent investigators to spy on his political opponents ahead of his reelection campaign. This exploded into one of the largest controversies in presidential history, and Nixon became the only president to resign as a result of an impeachment inquiry.
Much like Carter’s victory in 1976, Joe Biden’s 2020 victory offered the country a chance to reconcile with its lack of faith in government, and move past the anger and division that was a staple of Trump’s time in office. For a short time, it seemed like this was a real possibility. However, with Trump’s overwhelming victory last November, and distrust in the government still riding near an all-time high, it seems that the public has chosen to continue down Trump’s road of inflammatory rhetoric and divisive leadership.
Many are quick to defend Trump’s character, arguing that his controversial nature is necessary for dealing with the federal government’s rampant corruption. Although corruption is an issue, the consequences of his constant lying, aversion to ethical leadership and oftentimes illegal tactics will completely erode the already faltering relationship between the government and its people. This would threaten the mere survival of U.S. democracy, far outweighing the costs of a corrupted government.
Jimmy Carter was by no means the “perfect” president. In fact, he presided over a time when high inflation and some serious foreign policy blunders greatly impacted the nation’s well-being. However, his dedication to service through organizations like Habitat for Humanity and the Carter Center helps illustrate his humility, selflessness and compassion, all traits which are exceedingly important in good leadership.
Carter’s good character and kind, ethical persona made him perfect for the daunting task of returning trust, honor and respect to an office that had been battered and bruised by controversy, crime and corruption.
As the country — and world at large — prepare for four more years of Trump, many will look back at Carter’s legacy to search for a point in time where the president was an idealistic reflection of the antiquated American longing for moral and ethical leaders. With this hunger for principled leadership, the American public shouldn’t be afraid to challenge the blatant disregard for American values normalized by Trump’s administration.
As the main representative of the United States, the president should be an ethical character who inspires humanity and compassion among his people and throughout the world. While Carter isn’t considered the “best” president, his 50 years of public service after his term aimed at protecting the average American surely makes him the greatest human to be president.
Mateo Alvarez is an Opinion columnist studying political science. His column, “Byte the Ballot,” discusses the ways in which politics tangle with digital culture. He can be reached at mateoalv@umich.edu.
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