As the nation gears up to pay tribute to former President Jimmy Carter with a state funeral on January 9, fresh revelations have surfaced about a contentious episode in his post-presidential years. During the Clinton administration, Carter’s unsanctioned diplomatic efforts in North Korea stirred significant controversy.
A senior official reportedly went so far as to label him a “treasonous prick,” highlighting the tension between these two Democratic figures.
A report from National Review brings this story to light, illustrating the friction that arose due to Carter’s independent negotiations with North Korea. These talks took place without prior consent from the Clinton White House, forcing President Bill Clinton into a corner where he had to accept an agreement he hadn’t endorsed. This move complicated U.S. foreign policy at a crucial time and left many scrambling for solutions.
“Treasonous prick” sounds like a pretty dead-on analysis of Jimmy Carter pic.twitter.com/qMzXPQpzPG
— Part-Time Whitexican (@ActualGringo) January 1, 2025
Carter’s actions during Clinton’s presidency were unexpected; he acted alone in engaging with North Korea, catching the administration off guard. Accompanied by a CNN film crew, Carter managed to secure a framework agreement with North Korea and announced it publicly before even consulting Clinton’s team. This sudden move left the White House in disarray as they had no choice but to abandon their push for U.N. sanctions and accept Carter’s deal.
Historian Douglas Brinkley provides insight into how furious the Clinton administration was over these developments. According to Brinkley, one cabinet member used harsh language reflecting deep frustration at Carter’s unilateral approach. In his 1998 book “The Unfinished Presidency,” Brinkley generally portrays Carter’s post-presidency positively but notes surprising incidents like this one during the lead-up to the Persian Gulf War of 1990-91. Known for his focus on diplomacy and peacebuilding, Carter’s actions were seen as unorthodox and potentially disruptive.
Even Bill Clinton called Jimmy Carter ‘treasonous prick.’https://t.co/hPgWa9eAsp pic.twitter.com/Heox0C6Xf6
— Tony Seruga (@TonySeruga) January 1, 2025
In another bold step, Carter traveled with a CNN crew to North Korea without notifying Clinton’s team beforehand, aiming to negotiate an agreement framework. After finalizing terms, he abruptly informed them of his intention to announce it on CNN, which infuriated those within the administration further—one cabinet member allegedly called him out using strong words as recounted by Brinkley.
Adding more fuel to this diplomatic firestorm was when Carter dined with North Korean leader Kim Il Sung and falsely claimed on camera that the U.S. had stopped pursuing sanctions at the U.N., embarrassing Clinton’s White House while jeopardizing ongoing diplomatic efforts.
Despite these tensions, after returning home, Carter publicly criticized potential military action in favor of peaceful resolutions that he felt hadn’t been fully explored yet—a stance not shared by everyone involved as eventually military intervention was authorized by UN leading up Gulf War proceeding planned way traditionally former presidents refrain interfering successors’ policies especially foreign affairs seen some boundary-crossing undermining sitting administration efforts here too.
While President Clinton himself has remained silent regarding these allegations against him reported remark underscores challenges faced managing predecessors’ actions office often praised humanitarian focus sometimes criticism arises due stepping diplomatic lines others perceived crossed asking readers comment section below thoughts matter!