>> Stephen: WELL, SIR, THANKS FOR BEING HERE.
IT'S NICE TO SEE YOU AGAIN.
>> IT'S GOOD TO BE WITH YOU AGAIN, STEPHEN.
>> Stephen: HOW HAVE YOU BEEN?
I HAVE BEEN FINE.
>> Stephen: YOU'RE AN EXTRAORDINARY MAN.
YOU'RE 93 YEARS OLD -- AM I CORRECT AT 93?
>> GOING ON 94, YEAH.
>> Stephen: GOING ON 94, OKAY.
( CHEERS AND APPLAUSE ) YOU HAVE BEATEN CANCER AND YOU
ARE STILL -- YOU ARE STILL WORKING TO MAKE THE WORLD A
BETTER PLACE THROUGH THE CARTER CENTER AND THROUGH YOUR BOOKS.
YOU'VE GOT A NEW ONE CALLED "FAITH."
>> "FAITH."
>> Stephen: AND A LOT OF PEOPLE WILL RELEASE A BOOK AS A
TRIAL BALLOON BEFORE THEY RUN FOR PRESIDENT.
>> I'VE HEARD ABOUT THAT, YEAH.
( LAUGHTER ) >> Stephen: IS THERE ANY
CHANCE YOU'RE RUNNING IN 2020?
BECAUSE -- ( CHEERS AND APPLAUSE )
WE COULD USE A NICE GUY IN THE OVAL OFFICE.
>> I THINK THERE'S AN AGE LIMIT.
>> Stephen: IS THERE?
I THINK THERE'S AN AGE LIMIT.
>> Stephen: I KNOW IT'S 35 TO GET IN, BUT I THINK YOU CAN GO
ANYWHERE YOU WANT.
>> I THINK 93'S THE AGE LIMIT.
( LAUGHTER ) >> Stephen: WELL, YOU ARE
KNOWN TO BE A NICE GUY, YOU'VE CERTAINLY PROVEN IT.
YOU WERE SORT OF THE FIRST PRESIDENT OF THE 20th CENTURY
TO HAVE A CAREER AFTER THE WHITE HOUSE WITH THE CARTER CENTER AND
YOUR WORK WITH HABITAT FOR HUMANITY AND CERTAINLY
ERADICATING DISEASES AROUND THE WORLD.
S PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES --
( CHEERS AND APPLAUSE ) YOU WERE THE PRESIDENT AFTER
NIXON AND FORD AND AMERICA FELT LIKE THEY WANTED A NICE GUY IN
THERE.
NIXON SEEMED LIKE, PARDON THE EXPRESSION, A SON OF A BITCH.
( LAUGHTER ) WERE YOU TOO NICE TO BE
PRESIDENT?
PEOPLE CRITICIZED YOU FOR YOUR DEMEANOR AND YOU MIGHT SAY THE
ENERGY BROUGHT TO THE JOB.
DOES AMERICA WANT KIND OF A JERK AS PRESIDENT?
>> APPARENTLY FROM THE RECENT ELECTION, YES.
I NEVER KNEW IT BEFORE.
( APPLAUSE ) >> Stephen: WHAT DO YOU THINK
IT TAKES TO BE PRESIDENT?
WHAT'S THE ONE -- THE ONE QUALITY IT REQUIRES TO BE THE
PRESIDENT?
>> I USED TO THINK IT WAS TO TELL THE TRUTH.
( LAUGHTER ) BUT I'VE CHANGED MY MIND LATELY.
>> Stephen: DO YOU THINK THAT YOU CRITICIZE -- YOU WERE
CRITICIZED FOR TELLING THE TRUTH TO THE AMERICAN PEOPLE?
>> I THINK I TOLD THE TRUTH ALMOST ALL THE TIME.
>> Stephen: WHEN DID YOU NOT TELL THE TRUTH TO THE AMERICAN
PEOPLE?
>> MY MOTHER SAID I USED TO TELL LITTLE WHITE LIES.
>> Stephen: THAT'S WHAT HOPE HICKS SAYS, TOO.
( LAUGHTER ) >> ONE TIME SHE HAD AN INTERVIEW
AND A WOMAN CAME IN TO INTERVIEW MOMMA, AND SHE SAID A LITTLE
WHITE LIES.
SO JIMMY DOES TELL LITTLE WHITE LIES.
WHAT IS THAT?
SHE SAID WHEN YOU CAME IN THE DOOR AND I SAID GLAD TO SEE YOU
AND YOU LOOK VERY NICE?
SO A LITTLE WHITE LIE EVERY NOW AND THEN.
( LAUGHTER ) >> Stephen: THAT'S THE LEVEL.
AS AN EX-PRESIDENT, DO YOU SPEAK TO THE OTHER EX-PRESIDENTS?
>> SURE.
I WILL BE WITH TWO TOMORROW.
>> Stephen: WHO?
GEORGE W. BUSH AND BILL CLINTON.
>> Stephen: DO ALL THE EX-PRESIDENTS FEEL GOOD THAT
SINCE TRUMP IS IN OFFICE ALL OF YOU HAVE GONE UP THE RANKS?
YOU'VE ALL JUST BEEN PUSHED UP ONE LEVEL THERE?
>> I DON'T KNOW ABOUT THE REST OF THEM.
( LAUGHTER ) >> Stephen: BUT YOU FEEL GOOD
ABOUT IT?
( LAUGHTER ) YOU PRAY A LOT.
DO YOU PRAY FOR DONALD TRUMP?
>> I PRAY HE WILL BE A GOOD PRESIDENT, KEEP OUR COUNTRY AT
PEACE, THAT HE WILL REFRAIN FROM USING NUCLEAR WEAPONS AND THAT
HE WILL PROMOTE HUMAN RIGHTS.
SO, YEAH, I PRAY FOR HIM.
( APPLAUSE ) >> Stephen: THANK YOU FOR YOUR
PRAYERS, FIRST OF ALL.
THANK YOU FOR YOUR PRAYERS.
WE DO NEED THEM.
BUT DO YOU THINK YOUR PRAYERS ARE BEING ANSWERED SO FAR?
>> WELL, I USED TO HAVE A PASTOR WHO WOULD SAY, WHEN YOU PRAY,
GOD HAS THREE ANSWERS -- ONE IS YES, THE OTHER ONE IS NO, AND
THE THIRD ONE IS YOU'VE GOT TO BE KIDDING.
( LAUGHTER ) SO I'M NOT SURE WHICH ONE IT IS
YET.
( LAUGHTER ) >> Stephen: DONALD TRUMP'S
GOTTEN IN SOME TROUBLE FOR SOME OF THE ROUGH LANGUAGE THAT HE'S
USED AND PEOPLE HAVE CRITICIZED HIM FOR THAT AND I'VE CERTAINLY
MADE SOME JOKES ABOUT IT.
>> I'VE HEARD ABOUT THAT.
( LAUGHTER ) >> Stephen: YOU GOT IN A
LITTLE BIT OF TROUBLE BACK IN 1980 IN THAT CAMPAIGN WHEN IT
LOOKED LIKE TED KENNEDY MIGHT RUN, YOU FAMOUSLY SAID TO A
REPORTER, I WILL KICK HIS ASS.
AND AT THE TIME, THAT WAS UNIMAGINABLE.
>> FOR ME, YES.
>> Stephen: THAT A PRESIDENT, FOR ANY PRESIDENT, THAT HE WOULD
SAY THAT TO A REPORTER.
>> I DIDN'T SAY THAT TO A REPORTER.
I SAID IT TO A CONGRESSMAN AND HE REPORTED IT TO A REPORTER.
>> Stephen: SO HE THREW YOU UNDER THE BUS.
>> HE DID, YEAH.
>> Stephen: WHO WAS THE CONGRESSMAN?
>> I WON'T SAY HIS NAME.
HE'S OUT OF OFFICE NOW.
>> Stephen: OKAY.
BUT STILL LIVING?
>> YES, HE'S STILL LIVING.
>> Stephen: WE'LL FIND HIM.
( LAUGHTER ) ( PIANO RIFF )
>> BUT IT WAS TRUE, AND I DID.
( CHEERS AND APPLAUSE ) >> Stephen: SO YOU'RE NOT AS
NICE AS PEOPLE THINK!
( LAUGHTER ) >> MY WIFE CAN TELL YOU THAT.
>> Stephen: YOU HAVE BEEN CRITICAL OF SANCTIONS AGAINST
NORTH KOREA.
WHY IS THAT?
WHY IS THE ISOLATION YOU THINK A WRONG THING TO DO?
>> WELL, BECAUSE WHEN WE IMPOSED SANCTIONS FOR 70 YEARS AGAINST
NORTH KOREA AND ABOUT THAT LONG AGAINST CUBA, WE GET BLAMED FOR
ALL THE THINGS THAT GO WRONG IN THE COUNTRY AND IT EXALTS THE
DICTATORS.
THE DICTATORS ARE ALREADY PUNISHING PEOPLE.
THEY'RE ALREADY UNDER DURESS AND PUNISHMENT, NOT ENOUGH FOOD AND
FREEDOM AND THAT SORT OF THING, AND WHEN WE PUT SOME ADDITIONAL
STRESS ON THEM, LIKE NOT ANY FOOD AID AND DESTROY THEIR
ECONOMY, IT HURTS THE AVERAGE PERSON WHO IS ALREADY SUFFERING
UNDER THE DICTATOR AND THE DICTATORS CONTROL THE NEWS MEDIA
COMPLETELY SO THEY BLAME ALL THE PROBLEMS THAT THEY IMPOSE ON THE
PEOPLE OPEN US, SO WE GET BLAMED IN CUBA AND NORTH KOREA FOR
EVERYTHING BAD THAT GOES ON IN THE COUNTRY.
IT EXALTS THE DICTATORS AND HURTS THE PEOPLE.
>> Stephen: ARE YOU AGAINST SANCTIONS FOR ALL COUNTRIES LIKE
IRAN, CUBA, RUSSIA?
>> I'M AGAINST ANY KIND OF SANCTIONS THAT HURT THE PEOPLE
WHO ALREADY SUFFER UNDER A DICTATOR, YES.
( APPLAUSE ) >> Stephen: OKAY.
WELL, THE BOOK IS CALLED "FAITH: A JOURNEY FOR ALL."
I OFTEN WONDER WHAT THE MOST IMPORTANT OF THE CARDINAL
VIRTUES IS.
DO YOU THINK ANY OF THEM ARE ACHIEVABLE -- FAITH, HOPE OR
LOVE -- WITHOUT COURAGE?
DO YOU THINK COURAGE IS THE MOST IMPORTANT?
IT SEEMS ALL TAKES COURAGE TO ACHIEVE.
>> I THINK LOVE TAKES MORE COURAGE PERHAPS THAN FAITH
BECAUSE WE CAN'T AVOID HAVING FAITH.
YOU KNOW, WHEN WE ARE BABIES ALL OF US HAVE FAITH IN OUR MOTHERS,
WE'LL SAY, AND WE HAVE SOME DEGREE OF FAITH IN OURSELVES,
RIGHT?
AND WE HAVE TO HAVE FAITH IN OUR CLOSE FRIENDS OR THINGS THAT WE
CHERISH, LIKE THE TRUTH OR FAITH IN EDUCATION OR FAITH IN AMERICA
OR FAITH IN WHATEVER COUNTRY WE LIVE IN, FAITH IN FREEDOM.
SO WE HAVE FAITH MANY DIFFERENT THINGS THAT WE CAN'T AVOID, BUT
IT DOESN'T TAKE ANY COURAGE TO HAVE THOSE KINDS OF FAITH, BUT
IT TAKES COURAGE TO HAVE LOVE FOR PEOPLE WHO ARE DIFFERENT
FROM YOU AND IT TAKES COURAGE TO HAVE FAITH IN PEOPLE THAT WE
CONSIDER TO BE INFERIOR TO US OR ENEMIES OF OURS.
OF COURSE, JESUS SAYS WE SHOULD, YOU KNOW, LOVE OUR ENEMIES AS
WELL AS OUR FRIENDS AND HAVE SO-CALLED AGAPE OR
SELF-SACRIFICIAL LOVE OR LOVE FOR PEOPLE WHO DON'T LOVE US
BACK, THAT TAKES A LOT OF COURAGE, I THINK.
( APPLAUSE ) >> Stephen: HAVE YOU BEEN ABLE
TO HAVE THAT FOR -- THAT IS THE MOST DIFFICULT FORM OF LOVE TO
LOVE YOUR ENEMIES OR LOVE THE PEOPLE WHO DON'T AGREE WITH YOU.
>> THAT'S TRUE.
>> Stephen: HOW HAVE YOU BEEN ABLE TO FIND THAT FOR, SAY, YOUR
POLITICAL ENEMIES?
>> I'VE TRIED TO GET RID OF ALL MY POLITICAL ENEMIES BY
FORGETTING ABOUT THEM OR IGNORING THEM.
>> Stephen: FOR MANET THERE I THOUGHT YOU HAD A HIT SQUAD.
I GOT RID OF THEM, SEE!
I LOVE THEM WHERE THEY ARE!
( LAUGHTER ) >> SINCE I HAVE BEEN OUT OF
POLITICS I TRIED TO GET RID OF THE ANIMOSITIES I USED TO
CHERISH.
>> Stephen: AND YOU'VE OUTLIVED MOST OF THEM, I'M
GUESSING?
>> THAT'S ANOTHER SECRET TO MY SUCCESS, YES.
( LAUGHTER ) ( CHEERS AND APPLAUSE )
>> Stephen: WELL, JUST IN CASE -- SIR, JUST IN CASE YOUR
CHANGE YOUR MIND, WE HAVE A PRESENT FOR YOU.
IT'S CARTER 2020, STILL CONSTITUTIONALLY ELIGIBLE.
( CHEERS AND APPLAUSE ) THIS IS FOR YOU, YOUNG MAN.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
>> THANK YOU.
>> Stephen: THE BOOK IS "FAITH: A JOURNEY FOR ALL."
IT'S AVAILABLE NOW.