Tributes, including those from all five living presidents, poured in on Sunday after news broke that former President Jimmy Carter died at his home in Plains, Georgia, at the age of 100.
Carter served as the 39th president of the United States, but he was also a peanut farmer with a vision of a ‘competent and compassionate’ government, which propelled him into the White House.
Former President Bill Clinton said in a statement on Sunday that he and his wife, Hillary, met Carter in 1975 as ‘proud, early supporters’ of his presidential campaign.
‘Hillary and I mourn the passing of President Jimmy Carter and give thanks for his long, good life,’ Clinton wrote. ‘Guided by his faith, President Carter lived to serve others – until the very end.’
Clinton continued by praising his presidential colleague for his commitment to civil rights while serving as a state senator and the governor of Georgia, as well as his efforts as president to protect natural resources in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, returning the Panama Canal to Panama and securing peace between Egypt and Israel at Camp David.
Carter’s devotions after serving as president also gained accolades from Clinton, including efforts from the Carter Center to support honest elections, advancing peace and combating disease.
‘I will always be proud to have presented the Medal of Freedom to him and Rosalynn in 1999, and to have worked with him in the years after he left the White House,’ Clinton wrote. ‘Our prayers are with Jack, Chip, Jeff, Amy, and their families.’
Former President George W. Bush said Carter was ‘a man of deeply held convictions’ who was loyal to his family, his community and his country.
‘President Carter dignified the office. And his efforts to leave behind a better world didn’t end with the presidency,’ Bush said. ‘His work with Habitat for Humanity and the Carter Center set an example of service that will inspire Americans for generations.’
Carter, according to former President Obama, promised voters he would always tell the truth, which Obama said ‘he did.’
‘He believed some things were more important than reelection – things like integrity, respect, and compassion. Because Jimmy Carter believed, as deeply as he believed anything, that we are all created in God’s image,’ he added. ‘Whenever I had a chance to spend time with President Carter, it was clear that he didn’t just profess these values. 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 highlighted a quote that Carter said when he accepted his Nobel Peace Prize: ‘God gives us the capacity for choice. We can choose to alleviate suffering. We can choose to work together for peace.’
‘He made that choice again and again over the course of his 100 years, and the world is better for it,’ Obama said.
In another post on X, Obama said, ‘President Carter taught all of us what it means to live a life of grace, dignity, justice, and service. Michelle and I send our thoughts and prayers to the Carter family, and everyone who loved and learned from this remarkable man.’
President Biden referred to Carter as a man of great character and courage, hope and optimism.
He also said he and his wife will cherish seeing Carter and his late wife, Rosalynn, together, noting that the love between the two is the ‘definition of partnership,’ while their leadership is the definition of ‘patriotism.’
‘We will miss them both dearly, but take solace knowing they are reunited once again and will remain forever in our hearts,’ Biden said. ‘To the entire Carter family, we send our gratitude for sharing them with America and the world. To their staff – from the earliest days to the final ones – we have no doubt that you will continue to do the good works that carry on their legacy.’
President-elect Trump also reacted to Carter’s death on Truth Social.
‘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. For that, we all owe him a debt of gratitude,’ Trump wrote. ‘Melania and I are thinking warmly of the Carter Family and their loved ones during this difficult time. We urge everyone to keep them in their hearts and prayers.’