Jimmy Carter on NSA: "If I Send an Email, It Will Be Monitored"

Former President Jimmy Carter says he suspects his communications are being monitored by the National Security Agency.

“I have felt that my own communications are probably monitored,” Carter said in an interview with Andrea Mitchell that was aired Sunday on NBC’s “Meet the Press.”

Carter expressed his support for Edward Snowden in an interview with CNN last June:

"He's obviously violated the laws of America, for which he's responsible, but I think the invasion of human rights and American privacy has gone too far. I think that the secrecy that has been surrounding this invasion of privacy has been excessive, so I think that the bringing of it to the public notice has probably been, in the long term, beneficial."

TRANSCRIPT - MEET THE PRESS 3/23/2014

ANDREA MITCHELL:

Now, there's been a lot of criticism of his policy regarding drones and the NSA surveillance. And the N.S.A. has argued that this kind of intelligence gathering is critical to try to protect the American homeland?

JIMMY CARTER:

That has been extremely liberalized and, I think, abused by our own intelligence agencies. As a matter of fact, you know, I have felt that my own communications are probably monitored. And when I want to communicate with a foreign leader privately, I type or write a letter myself, put it in the post office, and mail it.

ANDREA MITCHELL:

Old fashioned snail mail--

JIMMY CARTER:

Old-- yeah. Yeah. Because I believe if I send an email, it will be monitored.