Jimmy Carter: 'Apparently' America wants a jerk for president

Kevin Johnson | USA TODAY

Show Caption Hide Caption Jimmy Carter calls Trump's decision to hire Bolton 'a disaster for our country' In a far-ranging interview with Washington Bureau Chief Susan Page, the 39th president expresses hope for the planned White House summit with Pyongyang and discussed the political repercussions of allegations by porn star Stormy Daniels.

Jimmy Carter didn't hold back in his assessment of President Trump.

During a Friday appearance on "The Late Show," host Stephen Colbert asked the 93-year-old former president whether America wants "kind of a jerk as president."

"Apparently, from this recent election, yes," Carter quipped, drawing a wave of laughter.

At the same time, Carter – who was promoting a new book titled Faith: A Journey for All – acknowledged that he "prays" for the current president.

"I pray that he'll be a good president and that he'll keep our country at peace; and that he'll refrain from using nuclear weapons and that he'll promote human rights," Carter said. "So, yeah, I pray for him."

Although he doesn’t mention Trump by name in the book, he writes about his concerns that racial and other divisions among Americans have been exacerbated since the 2016 presidential election.

More: Jimmy Carter calls Trump's decision to hire Bolton 'a disaster for our country'