Please ensure Javascript is enabled for purposes of website accessibility
U.S. Presidents Pay Tribute to Jimmy Carter
d8a347b41db1ddee634e2d67d08798c102ef09ac
By The New York Times
Published 6 days ago on
December 29, 2024

Former U.S. President Jimmy Carter in a 2014 appearance. He died Sunday at age 100. (AP File)

Share

Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...

Former U.S. presidents joined world leaders and others in mourning former President Jimmy Carter after his death Sunday at age 100, recalling him as a humble humanitarian and global statesman who fought for peace and democracy during his four years in the White House and in his long and active postpresidency.

By Sara Ruberg, Ephrat Livni and Michael Levenson

The New York Times

As news of Carter’s death at his home in Plains, Georgia, spread across the world, others who have occupied the Oval Office paid tribute to his life, saying he had been guided by his Christian faith and his dedication to charity and kindness.

They remembered him not only for accomplishments in office but for his work through The Carter Center, which he and his wife, Rosalynn, founded after his presidency to promote peace, fight disease and combat social inequality.

Carter Changed Lives Around the World: Biden

President Joe Biden, who was a first-term senator from Delaware when Carter was elected president in 1976, called Carter a “dear friend” who “saved, lifted, and changed the lives of people all across the globe.”

“He worked to eradicate disease, forge peace, advance civil rights and human rights, promote free and fair elections, house the homeless, and always advocate for the least among us,” Biden said in a statement. He added that young Americans and “anyone in search of what it means to live a life of purpose and meaning” should look to Jimmy Carter.

Former President Bill Clinton, who had a complicated relationship with Carter but seemed to cement his friendship with him when he awarded the Carters the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 1999, said in a statement that Jimmy Carter was a leader “guided by faith” who “worked tirelessly for a better, fairer world.”

Clinton applauded Carter for reaching a peace deal between Egypt and Israel, and for his advancement of environmental protections.

He also praised Carter for his charitable works, including as a volunteer for more than 30 years for Habitat for Humanity, which builds affordable housing. Even as a frail figure in his later years, Carter swung a hammer and wielded a drill on the group’s homebuilding projects, solidifying his image as a man who put his beliefs into action.

Carter Dignified the Presidential Office: Bush

Former President George W. Bush mentioned this work in a statement Sunday, noting that “his efforts to leave behind a better world didn’t end with the presidency.” Bush said Carter “was a man of deeply held convictions” and “dignified” the presidential office.

Former President Barack Obama recalled Carter not only for his accomplishments in diplomacy and domestic affairs but for his fundamental integrity, respect and compassion. “Whenever I had a chance to spend time with President Carter, it was clear that he didn’t just profess these values,” Obama said in a post on the social platform Medium. “He embodied them. And in doing so, he taught all of us what it means to live a life of grace, dignity, justice and service.”

Obama said hundreds of people would come to hear Carter speak on the occasional Sunday morning at Maranatha Baptist Church in Plains. While many came to hear an accomplished former president preach, Obama said many showed up because of “President Carter’s decency.”

‘We All Owe Him a Debt of Gratitude’: Trump

President-elect Donald Trump noted the “enormous responsibility” that American presidents carry and said it was a burden that only the members of the “very exclusive club” of former presidents could relate to.

“The challenges Jimmy faced as President came at a pivotal time for our country and he did everything in his power to improve the lives of all Americans,” Trump wrote on Truth Social, his social media platform. “For that, we all owe him a debt of gratitude.”

In October, Trump was the only living president or former president who did not contribute a video message to Carter for his 100th birthday. Instead, on a campaign stop in Wisconsin, Trump said Carter was happy because his presidency was successful compared with that of Biden, whom Trump deemed “the worst.”

Trump and other members of the “exclusive club” that is the presidency will have a chance to gather early in the new year, when Carter’s funeral is expected to take place.

This article originally appeared in The New York Times.

RELATED TOPICS:

DON'T MISS

George Kittle Is Looking for His Greatest Catch: A Loving Family To Call His Own

DON'T MISS

How Drinking Alcohol Can Affect Your Health

DON'T MISS

Nikki Glaser Wants to Kill as Host of the Globes. Is She Overthinking It?

DON'T MISS

Pro Tips for Making Great-Tasting Comfort Food Without All the Calories

DON'T MISS

Niners QB Joshua Dobbs Makes His Return to the Desert as a Starter

DON'T MISS

Fresno Gang Member Arrested After High-Speed Chase, Stolen Mail Discovered in SUV

DON'T MISS

Biden Awards Medal of Honor and Medal of Valor to Military Heroes and First Responders

DON'T MISS

French Quarter’s Metal Barriers Gone on New Year’s, Leaving Critical Security Gap

DON'T MISS

Soldier Who Died in Las Vegas Explosion Left Note Saying It Was to Be a Wakeup for Country’s Ills

DON'T MISS

Fowler Packing VP Sean Nelsen Dies Unexpectedly. He Had a Global Impact.

UP NEXT

How Drinking Alcohol Can Affect Your Health

UP NEXT

Nikki Glaser Wants to Kill as Host of the Globes. Is She Overthinking It?

UP NEXT

Pro Tips for Making Great-Tasting Comfort Food Without All the Calories

UP NEXT

Niners QB Joshua Dobbs Makes His Return to the Desert as a Starter

UP NEXT

Fresno Gang Member Arrested After High-Speed Chase, Stolen Mail Discovered in SUV

UP NEXT

Biden Awards Medal of Honor and Medal of Valor to Military Heroes and First Responders

UP NEXT

French Quarter’s Metal Barriers Gone on New Year’s, Leaving Critical Security Gap

UP NEXT

Soldier Who Died in Las Vegas Explosion Left Note Saying It Was to Be a Wakeup for Country’s Ills

UP NEXT

Fowler Packing VP Sean Nelsen Dies Unexpectedly. He Had a Global Impact.

UP NEXT

Entz Raids NIU Staff Again. It’s for a Linebackers Coach This Time

Pro Tips for Making Great-Tasting Comfort Food Without All the Calories

2 hours ago

Niners QB Joshua Dobbs Makes His Return to the Desert as a Starter

2 hours ago

Fresno Gang Member Arrested After High-Speed Chase, Stolen Mail Discovered in SUV

14 hours ago

Biden Awards Medal of Honor and Medal of Valor to Military Heroes and First Responders

14 hours ago

French Quarter’s Metal Barriers Gone on New Year’s, Leaving Critical Security Gap

14 hours ago

Soldier Who Died in Las Vegas Explosion Left Note Saying It Was to Be a Wakeup for Country’s Ills

15 hours ago

Fowler Packing VP Sean Nelsen Dies Unexpectedly. He Had a Global Impact.

15 hours ago

Southpaw Sports Cards Show at Clovis Rodeo Grounds Is a Collector’s Dream

16 hours ago

Entz Raids NIU Staff Again. It’s for a Linebackers Coach This Time

16 hours ago

Fresno Driver Crashes Into Uncle Harry’s Bagel Shop, Injures Five

17 hours ago

George Kittle Is Looking for His Greatest Catch: A Loving Family To Call His Own

George Kittle, a one-year-old rescue dog, captivates hearts with his resilience and irresistible charm. Formerly known as Eddy during his ti...

1 minute ago

George Kittle, a resilient three-legged rescue dog, is thriving after overcoming a grim fate and awaits a loving forever home. (Mell's Mutts)
1 minute ago

George Kittle Is Looking for His Greatest Catch: A Loving Family To Call His Own

1 hour ago

How Drinking Alcohol Can Affect Your Health

Nikki Glaser in New York on Dec. 28, 2024. To refine her monologue for Sunday’s show, she relied on two writers’ rooms and 91 test runs. Then came the fickle audiences and a crisis of confidence. (Hailey Heaton/The New York Times)
1 hour ago

Nikki Glaser Wants to Kill as Host of the Globes. Is She Overthinking It?

2 hours ago

Pro Tips for Making Great-Tasting Comfort Food Without All the Calories

2 hours ago

Niners QB Joshua Dobbs Makes His Return to the Desert as a Starter

Manuel Burciaga, 42, a known gang member, was arrested after leading police on a high-speed chase, during which stolen mail was found in his vehicle. (Fresno County SO)
14 hours ago

Fresno Gang Member Arrested After High-Speed Chase, Stolen Mail Discovered in SUV

14 hours ago

Biden Awards Medal of Honor and Medal of Valor to Military Heroes and First Responders

14 hours ago

French Quarter’s Metal Barriers Gone on New Year’s, Leaving Critical Security Gap

Help continue the work that gets you the news that matters most.

Search

Send this to a friend