Former President Jimmy Carter claimed Thursday that his grandson James Carter - the man who brought Mitt Romney's 47 percent video to light - was responsible for getting Barack Obama re-elected last November.
Speaking with CNN's Piers Morgan, Carter also said that when Obama met his grandson last week, he "ran across the room, embraced him and thanked him."
PIERS MORGAN, HOST: Last time we spoke, you sort of suggested you didn't have much of a relationship with President Obama. Have things improved or deteriorated, or are they about the same?
FORMER PRESIDENT JIMMY CARTER: About the same.
(LAUGHTER)
You know, he and I respect each other. When he came to Atlanta this past week, his staff invited me to come to the speech. I was in Atlanta to make a speech myself. I couldn't go. But he met my grandson, who's in the state Senate. He had met my grandson, who was the one who found the 47 percent tape and pretty --
(CROSSTALK)
MORGAN: Right. Well, it won him the election.
CARTER: I think -- I personally think so.
MORGAN: Yes.
CARTER: James, my grandson who did that, was born in -- a month after I moved into the White House. His parents were living in the White House.
MORGAN: So basically Carter won Obama the election.
CARTER: Well, I think -- I think so.
(LAUGHTER)
But that's kind of a prejudiced --
MORGAN: But it was a key moment actually. I mean, do you think that was the pivotal moment in destroying Mitt Romney's chances.
CARTER: I believe it was. It was something that he could not deny. And it stuck with him for the rest of the election, and I think it was a major factor if not the major factor. And when James went to meet President Obama, President Obama ran across the room, embraced him and thanked him. But Piers, for the first time, by the way --
MORGAN: Is last week
(CROSSTALK)
CARTER: Yes.
MORGAN: That's the first time.
CARTER: Yes, it was. So --
MORGAN: And did he actually say thank you for winning me the election?
CARTER: I don't think he said, winning the election, but thank you for helping me win the election.
(LAUGHTER)
I don't know exactly what the words were.
For those that have forgotten, James was the individual that connected Mother Jones's David Corn with the man that had the video of Romney speaking at a private fundraiser about the 47 percent of the country that would never vote for him.
With the media's help, this became a huge issue in the campaign.
