The 'killer rabbit attack' story during Jimmy Carter's presidency brought attention to his challenges.

The "killer rabbit" incident, in which former President Jimmy Carter fought off a berserk swamp creature while fishing in Plains, Georgia, is being remembered by many after his passing.

The unusual event took place in April 1979 and was not made public until several months later when White House Press Secretary Jody Powell disclosed it to reporter Brooks Jackson. The story gained traction and became synonymous with the Carter administration, which was widely viewed as ineffective and struggling.

Headlines across the country were sensationalized, including the Washington Post's "President Attacked by Rabbit" and the New York Times' "Killer Rabbit Takes Center Stage in Carter's Presidency."

A photograph taken by a White House staffer depicts Carter, while fishing near Plains, noticing a large swamp rabbit swimming rapidly towards him. Powell stated that "this large, wet animal, making bizarre hissing noises and gnashing its teeth, was determined to enter the Presidential boat." Carter employed a paddle to splash water at the creature, causing it to alter course and swim away.

In August 1979, the New York Times reported that a rabbit had breached Secret Service security and attacked President Carter, prompting him to defend himself with a canoe paddle. One White House staffer stated that the President was fighting for his life.

The photo, which was not made public by the White House until after Carter lost his re-election bid to Reagan in 1980, depicts the late president playfully splashing water as a large rabbit, with its ears visible above the water, swims away.

The president's account of the incident is less dramatic than Carter's. He stated, "A rabbit was being chased by hounds and jumped into the water. As it got close to my boat, I splashed some water with a paddle, causing the rabbit to turn and swim away. It eventually crawled out on the other side."

Despite the fact that the story about the "killer rabbit" did not actually happen, national and local media outlets still reported on it extensively.

During his one-term presidency in 1979, Carter encountered numerous challenges, including an energy crisis, economic problems, and the Iran hostage crisis. As a result, his approval ratings plummeted, reaching some of the highest disapproval levels of his entire presidency.

The "banzai bunny" and cartoons of giant rabbits were fanciful, but many saw the story as a metaphor for Carter's struggling presidency.

Powell initially viewed the incident as an amusing tale but later regretted sharing it with the media because it portrayed the president as weak and inept, causing fear of a bunny.

In his 1985 memoir "The Other Side of the Story," Powell depicted the occurrences as a "terrible nightmare."

"He wrote that the thought of how foolish he had been still makes his skin crawl, as he believed it was amusing at the time. If he had been performing his duties, he would have put a stop to the President and warned him and his administration of the potential dangers of such a story being released. Unfortunately, he did not take any action."

Carter, a Democrat, served as the 39th president of the United States from 1977 to 1981. He was the longest-living president in U.S. history, passing away at the age of 100 in his home in Plains on Dec. 29 at 3:45 p.m. Carter was an outspoken Christian and known for his significant humanitarian efforts after his presidency. He was awarded a Nobel Peace Prize in 2002.