A former president just endorsed Hillary Clinton. That's never happened to Donald Trump.

Jimmy Carter addresses the Democratic National Convention
(Image credit: Saul Loeb/AFP/Getty Images)

Former President Jimmy Carter was the first of three Democratic presidents to address the Democratic National Convention on Tuesday, congratulating both Hillary Clinton and Sen. Bernie Sanders for having a tough primary in which both candidates "comported themselves with dignity." Speaking to the convention in a short video, Carter said that he hired Clinton, then a young attorney, for the Legal Services Corp., where she became the first female chairman. Since then, "as you know, Hillary has always shown a willingness to take on the most difficult challenges, and to get things done," as a champion for human rights with a "strong heart" and a "steady hand."

Carter urged young voters to "stay engaged, stay involved, and be sure to vote this November," and said he's confident that "a united Democratic Party will prevail in November." Former President Bill Clinton speaks later on Tuesday night, and President Obama speaks at Wednesday night's convention. No former Republican presidents attended last week's Republican National Convention, much less endorsed Donald Trump. Bob Dole was the only living GOP presidential nominee to show up at the Cleveland convention.

Subscribe to The Week

Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

SUBSCRIBE & SAVE
https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/flexiimages/jacafc5zvs1692883516.jpg

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

Sign up

Continue reading for free

We hope you're enjoying The Week's refreshingly open-minded journalism.

Subscribed to The Week? Register your account with the same email as your subscription.

Peter Weber

Peter Weber is a senior editor at TheWeek.com, and has handled the editorial night shift since the website launched in 2008. A graduate of Northwestern University, Peter has worked at Facts on File and The New York Times Magazine. He speaks Spanish and Italian and plays bass and rhythm cello in an Austin rock band. Follow him on Twitter.