Carter: I Would Have Defeated Reagan If I Had Been More 'Manly'

In an interview with CNBC, former President Jimmy Carter reflected on his time in the White House, particularly regarding his handling of the Iran Hostage Crisis, which some suggest was responsible for his defeat by Ronald Reagan in the 1980 presidential election.

Carter explained in an interview with “CNBC Meets” that aired Wednesday he could have been reelected had he acted “manly” against Iran.

“I could’ve been re-elected if I’d taken military action against Iran, shown that I was strong and resolute and, um, manly and so forth,” Carter said. “I could have wiped Iran off the map with the weapons that we had, but in the process a lot of innocent people would have been killed, probably including the hostages and so I stood up against all that all that advice, and then eventually my prayers were answered and every hostage came home safe and free. And so I think I made the right decision in retrospect, but it was not easy at the time.”

(h/t Washington Examiner)

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