There could hardly be two more different presidencies than that of Jimmy Carter and Donald Trump. 

And, to some degree, serving at vastly different times limits and restricts any meaningful comparison. Still, they are two of the 46 men who have led the nation, a small group that is always compared historically.

 Jimmy Carter may have been the most religious president to ever occupy the White House. He was honest to a fault, and sometimes, it really was a fault, as when he made his famous malaise speech to the American people. Carter’s presidency was defined by the inflation he inherited, the Iran hostage crisis, and his important contribution to lifting our southern states out of the grip of racism.

Carter failed to reign in inflation, but he did make a serious, long-term investment in fiscal conservatism by appointing Paul Volcker as Federal Reserve chair. Volcker, serving his 10-year term into the Reagan presidency, ultimately contributed dramatically to more prosperous years late in his term at the Fed.

The Iran hostage crisis framed Carter as a weak president, unwilling to attack Iran to gain the release of the captives. An alternative argument suggested that such an attack would result in the hostages being executed. Carter took the more cautious position and was patient with the Iranian government. The hostages were ultimately released after Ronald Reagan took office, which led to conspiracy theories that Reagan asked Iran not to release the hostages until he assumed the presidency. There was never enough evidence to support the claim against Reagan.

 In terms of the shift in our Southern states away from long-held racial animus, Jimmy Carter was the first southern, a Georgia governor and then president, to voice the end of discrimination. His administration lives up to that promise, hiring more Black Americans into leadership positions and judicial appointments than any president since.

While history still judges Carter’s presidency as wanting, his contributions were not insignificant. When added to his post-presidency diplomatic accomplishments and public service, Jimmy Carter earned the status of greatness with his lifetime contributions.

In contrast, Donald Trump first took office as a much older man, with most of his life behind him. His earlier life was not in public service but in making wealth, experiencing several bankruptcies, and being accused of multiple instances of infidelity. 

Trump was the very caricature of the rich, vainglorious entrepreneur. But Trump had learned how to manage media more effectively than any previous presidential candidate, and that skill served him well, along with help from Russia (see the 2018 Republican Senate Intelligence Committee) in the 2016 election.

Trump’s career seemed at an end when he unsuccessfully attempted to overthrow a free and fair presidential election in 2020. But, in spite of that horrific act, his supporters remained loyal to him, ultimately to return him to office this Jan. 20.

 Now, as Trump has assumed office again, we are reminded daily of his outrageous comments, like making Canada the 51st state (try Puerto Rico, they might accept), invading peaceful Greenland, or seizing the Panama Canal by force. None of these things are going to happen, but they might, collectively, distract from Trump’s more outrageous cabinet choices, each designed and selected to be loyal to Trump and not the Constitution.

Ultimately, historians will likely identify Jimmy Carter as a man of great character and Donald Trump as a man of great personal greed and questionable character.

History will have the final word.

Jim Crawford is a retired educator and political enthusiast living here in the Tri-State.