Thursday’s coverage of the state funeral for late former President Jimmy Carter was largely respectful, but CNN and CBS used the event to push their political agendas. CNN invoked Carter’s FBI director to bash Trump and CBS tied him to the current wildfires in Los Angeles to validate his environmental views.
CNN’s special correspondent Jamie Gangel highlighted the fact that three of Carter’s staff and cabinet members were still alive and attending the funeral, including his Republican pick for FBI director Judge William Webster.
Leave to CNN during its coverage of the state funeral for Jimmy Carter to attack President-Elect Trump for wanting a new FBI Director pic.twitter.com/c7rLXq1PJs
— Curtis Houck (@CurtisHouck) January 9, 2025
Gangel reported that Carter believed the FBI should be separate from politics, using this as a contrast to the current situation with President-Elect Trump and FBI Director Christopher Wray’s resignation.
CBS's Lesley Stahl argues Jimmy Carter wasn't "a weak president" and says the last few days have shown America's "open[ed] our eyes to what he accomplished…so much more than we realized" pic.twitter.com/QMDdEjgOin
— Curtis Houck (@CurtisHouck) January 9, 2025
Phillip, host of CNN NewsNight, added to the political commentary by bringing up Hunter Biden and saying that Carter’s values are being revisited in the current administration. On CBS, 60 Minutes correspondent Lesley Stahl complained that Carter was considered a weak president, but now we are “opening our eyes” to his accomplishments. She and liberal historian Douglas Brinkley then tied the devastating Los Angeles wildfires to Carter’s views on alternative energy and global warming.
This exploitation of a funeral and politicization of Carter’s legacy is shameful and disrespectful. It’s clear that the liberal media will use any opportunity, including a state funeral, to bash Trump and push their agenda. But what they fail to realize is that Carter’s legacy is not one of weakness, but of bipartisanship and accomplishments. He stood for human rights, passed important energy acts, and brokered the historic Camp David Accords.
The liberal media should take a lesson from Carter’s legacy and prioritize unity and bipartisanship over divisive political agendas. Instead of using a funeral to score political points, they should honor the life and accomplishments of President Jimmy Carter. That is the true way to remember and honor our former leaders.