getty imagesJoe Biden and Donald Trump paid tribute to former US president and Nobel Peace Prize winner Jimmy Carter, who passed away at the age of 100.
Carter lived longer than any other president in history. died on sunday afternoon At his home in Plains, Georgia.
Biden described him as “a man of principle, conviction and humility,” while Trump said all Americans owe Carter a “debt of gratitude.”
Carter rose from a peanut farmer to become president in 1977, and was forced out of the White House after only four years in office when Ronald Reagan won the next election.
After leaving the White House with low approval ratings, his reputation was restored through his humanitarian work, which earned him the Nobel Peace Prize.
“Today, America and the world lost an outstanding leader, statesman and humanitarian,” President Biden and First Lady Jill Biden said in a statement.
He added, “To every young person in this country and to everyone who is looking for what it means to live a life of purpose and meaning – a good life – study Jimmy Carter, a man of principle, faith and humility.”
“He showed us that we are a great nation because we are good people: decent and honorable, brave and compassionate, humble and strong.”
“The challenges Jimmy faces as president come at a pivotal time for our country, and he has done everything in his power to improve the lives of all Americans,” President-elect Trump told Truth Social.
“For that we all owe him a debt of gratitude.”
Trump previously mocked Carter’s one-term term on the campaign trail ahead of his presidential victory this year, and previously described him in 2019 as “He’s a good guy. He was a terrible president.”
This comes after Carter called Trump an “illegitimate president” and claimed he helped put him in the White House due to Russian interference in the 2016 election. Moscow and Trump denied this.
World leaders also paid tribute to Carter.
King Charles III said: “His dedication and humility were an inspiration to many and I remember with great fondness his visit to the UK in 1977.”
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said Carter was “moved by his strong beliefs and values” and that he had “redefined the presidency with his extraordinary commitment to social justice and human rights at home and abroad.”
“Carter was a leader who served at a time when Ukraine was not yet independent, but his heart was firmly with us in our ongoing struggle for freedom,” said Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.
“I have steadfastly defended the rights of the most vulnerable people and fought tirelessly for peace,” French President Emmanuel Macron said.
Before becoming president in 1977, Carter, a Democrat, was governor of Georgia, a lieutenant in the U.S. Navy and a farmer.
Carter’s presidency will be remembered for his struggle to resolve serious economic problems and several foreign policy challenges, including the Iran hostage crisis that left eight Americans dead.
But there was a notable foreign policy victory in the Middle East when he helped broker the 1978 agreement between Egypt and Israel signed at Camp David in the United States.
But two years later, it seemed like a distant memory when voters overwhelmingly chose Republican Ronald Reagan, who portrayed the president as a weak leader unable to handle inflation and interest rates near record highs.
Carter lost the 1980 election by a landslide, winning only Washington, D.C., and six U.S. states.
After leaving the White House, he became the first and only president to return full-time to his pre-political home, a rustic two-bedroom ranch-style home.
He decided not to pursue the lucrative after-dinner speaking and publishing deals that awaited most former presidents. As told to the Washington Post in 2018He never wanted to be rich.
Instead, he spent the rest of his life trying to solve global problems of inequality and disease.
He founded the Carter Center in 1982 to pursue a vision for global diplomacy, and was awarded the 2002 Nobel Peace Prize for his efforts with the Foundation to promote human rights around the world.
He also worked with Nelson Mandela to found The Elders, a group of global leaders committed to peace and human rights.
getty imagesCarter is survived by four children, 11 grandchildren and 14 great-grandchildren.
His wife of 77 years, Rosalyn, died in November 2023.
In announcing his death, Carter’s son Chip said his father was “a hero not only to me but to everyone who believes in peace, human rights and selfless love.”
“My brothers, sisters and I shared him with the world through these shared beliefs. The world is our family because of the way he brought people together.”
Since 2018 and the death of George HW Bush, Carter has become America’s longest-living president.
Last year, Carter stopped receiving treatment for an undisclosed illness and instead began receiving hospice care at home. He suffered from health problems, including melanoma that had spread to his liver and brain.
Another major tribute came from Barack Obama, who recalled spending time with Carter and said, “He taught us all what it means to live a life of grace, dignity, justice, and service.”
Maranatha Baptist Church in Plains, where Carter taught Sunday school into his 90s, “is going to be a little quieter on Sundays,” Obama said.
“But President Carter will never be far away. He is buried with Rosalynn down the street by the willow tree, and his memory calls us all to listen to our better angels.”
Former U.S. President Bill Clinton and his wife, former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, also spoke about Carter’s faith.
“President Carter lived to serve others until his final moments,” they said in a statement.
