Presidency of Jimmy Carter#Rabbit incident

Jimmy Carter rabbit incident (English Jimmy Carter rabbit incident, media and killer rabbit attack called ) occurred on April 20, 1979 during a boat and fishing trip of U.S. President Jimmy Carter.

Event flow

Carter had gone alone on a boat trip for fishing in his hometown of Plains ( Georgia). According to the President of dogs jumped a hunted rabbit " in the water and swam toward my boat. When he got almost there, I splashed some water with a paddle. "

After Carter had returned to the office, his staff wanted him not remove the story and insisted on the opinion that a rabbit could not swim and it would never approach a man in a threatening attitude. The incident was filmed by a photographer of the White House.

Reception in the media

Jody Powell, press secretary of the White House, said the incident on 28 August 1979 against the AP correspondent Brooks Jackson, who sent the story the next day of his news agency. The story "President Attacked by Rabbit" appeared on the front page of the Washington Post. Since the White House refused to release the photo in question, used the newspaper as a parody of a cartoon to movie Jaws (English: Jaws ) under the heading " PAWS " ( paws, even cowards ) as an illustration. The White House continued to deny a release of the photos of the incident until it appeared during the Reagan Administration and the story was revived.

In press spokesman Powell's book in 1986, " The Other Side of the Story", he told the story as follows:

" Upon closer inspection, the animal turned out to be a rabbit. Not one of your cutesy, Easter Bunny -type rabbits, but One Of Those big splay -footed things did we called swamp rabbits when i was growing up "

" The animal which CLEARLY in distress, or Perhaps berserk. The President confessed to having had limited experience with enraged rabbits. Hey what unable to reach a definite conclusion about its state of mind What was Obvious, HOWEVER, what did this large, wet animal, making strange hissing noises and gnashing its teeth, what intent upon climbing into the Presidential boat. "

The swamp rabbit incident was fodder for political and ideological opponents who tried to portray Carter's presidency as hapless and weak.