US presidents react to Jimmy Carter’s death at 100; Trump calls him ‘a truly good man’
Tributes from past and present American presidents and leaders flooded in soon after the announcement of Jimmy Carter's death at the age of 100 in Georgia on Sunday.
President-elect Donald Trump praised Carter as "a truly good man," acknowledging their political differences while commending Carter's lasting respect for the country.
The former president, writing on Truth Social, stated, "While I strongly disagreed with him philosophically and politically, I also realized that he truly loved and respected our Country, and all it stands for."
Get Our Latest News for FREE
"He was a truly good man and, of course, will be greatly missed," Trump wrote. "He worked hard to make America a better place, and for that I give him my highest respect."
Trump offered "warmest condolences" to Carter's family and praised the former president for his efforts to "make America a better place."
President Joe Biden, speaking to journalists on the day of Carter's passing, recalled his earliest encounters with the Georgia native.
"My fondest memory was laughs — he grabbed me by the arm and said, 'You helped my campaign (for the presidential race in 1976).' I said I have only been around a couple of years, Mr. Governor. He said it will make a difference," Biden said.
"I told him why I was endorsing — that it was not only his policies, but his character, his decency, the honor he communicates."
The president also recounted the support Carter offered when the Bidens lost their son Beau.
"But he and Rosalynn were very kind when we lost Beau. They were there for us. … I think Jimmy Carter was an example of simple decency."
Former President Barack Obama, writing on Medium, reflected on visiting Maranatha Baptist Church in Plains, where Carter often taught Sunday school.
Obama mentioned that people came not just to see a former president, but "because of something more fundamental: President Carter's decency." He pointed to Carter's devotion to truth, saying the 39th president "promised voters that he would always tell the truth," and he "did — advocating for the public good, consequences be damned."
Obama referred to Carter's environmental reforms, the Camp David Accords and his post-White House endeavours, including monitoring more than 100 elections worldwide and nearly eradicating Guinea worm disease in Africa.
Obama also acknowledged Carter's Nobel Peace Prize.
Former President George W. Bush sent "heartfelt condolences" to the Carter family, naming President Carter "a man of deeply held convictions" who "dignified the office."
Bush noted that Carter's service did not end with his single term, saying, "His work with Habitat for Humanity and the Carter Center set an example of service that will inspire Americans for generations."
In a joint statement, former President Bill Clinton and his wife, Hillary, the 2016 Democratic presidential nominee, said they met Carter in 1975 and were "proud early supporters" of his presidential campaign.
"Guided by his faith, President Carter lived to serve others — until the very end," the Clintons said.
Vice President Kamala Harris, in a statement, noted that Carter "was guided by a deep and abiding faith — in God, in America, and in humanity."
She described him as a figure who "reminded our nation and the world that there is strength in decency and compassion" and commended his "fight for peace, democracy, and human dignity through the Carter Center."
Harris recalled celebrating Rosalynn Carter's life with President Biden in Georgia. Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter had been married 77 years.
On Sunday afternoon, Carter's son, Chip, confirmed that the former president passed away at his home in Georgia.
According to the Carter Center, he transitioned to hospice care in February last year, opting to spend his remaining time at home. Despite several health challenges, he reached his 100th birthday in October. Carter is the first U.S. president to reach the age of 100.
Carter, born in 1924, grew up in a small farming town in Georgia before attending the U.S. Naval Academy. He served as a lieutenant and later rose in political prominence by winning a seat in the Georgia Senate, followed by the governorship in 1971. He assumed the presidency in 1977 after defeating Gerald Ford, securing 297 electoral college votes.
During his White House tenure, Carter worked on energy deregulation, created the U.S. Department of Education and signed the Camp David Accords, a peace treaty between Egypt and Israel, according to the Jimmy Carter Presidential Library. He left office after a single term, having faced economic struggles and international crises. In the years that followed, he and his wife devoted their time to charitable projects, most notably with Habitat for Humanity.
Carter continued teaching Sunday school in his hometown church for decades and authored more than 30 books.
Carter occasionally garnered controversy for his commentary on the Middle East, conservative Christianity and other political matters.
