Joe Biden and Donald Trump have paid tribute to former U.S. President and Nobel Peace Prize laureate Jimmy Carter, who passed away at the age of 100 on Sunday afternoon at his home in Plains, Georgia.
Biden honored Carter as “a man of principle, faith, and humility,” while Trump expressed that all Americans owe Carter a “debt of gratitude.”
Carter, who began his career as a peanut farmer, served as president from 1977 to 1981 before losing his re-election bid to Ronald Reagan. After leaving office with low approval ratings, Carter’s reputation was significantly restored through his humanitarian work, ultimately earning him the Nobel Peace Prize.
In a joint statement, President Biden and First Lady Jill Biden described Carter as an “extraordinary leader, statesman, and humanitarian” and urged young people to study his life.
They added that Carter showed the world that America is great because its people are “decent and honorable, courageous and compassionate, humble and strong.”
Biden declared January 9 as a national day of mourning, with Americans encouraged to visit places of worship to honor Carter. He also ordered flags to be flown at half-mast at all public and military buildings for 30 days, including during the inauguration of President-elect Trump.
Trump, who had previously criticized Carter’s presidency, also praised his efforts, saying, “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 had mocked Carter’s single term during his 2019 campaign, but his tribute reflected a more respectful acknowledgment of Carter’s service to the nation.
World leaders also paid tribute to Carter.
King Charles III said, “his dedication and humility served as an inspiration to many, and I remember with great fondness his visit to the United Kingdom in 1977”.
UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer said Carter was “motivated by his strong faith and values” and that he “redefined the post-presidency with a remarkable commitment to social justice and human rights at home and abroad”.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said Carter “was a leader who served during a time when Ukraine was not yet independent, yet his heart stood firmly with us in our ongoing fight for freedom”.
French President Emmanuel Macron said he had been a “steadfast advocate for the rights of the most vulnerable and has tirelessly fought for peace”.
Before becoming president in 1977, Democrat Carter was governor of Georgia, a lieutenant in the US Navy and a farmer.
Carter’s presidency will be remembered for his struggles in dealing with acute economic problems and several foreign policy challenges, including the Iran hostage crisis, which ended with the deaths of eight Americans.
There was, however, a notable foreign policy triumph in the Middle East when he helped broker an accord between Egypt and Israel, signed at Camp David in the US in 1978.
But that seemed a distant memory two years later, when voters overwhelmingly chose Republican Ronald Reagan, who had portrayed the president as a weak leader unable to deal with inflation and interest rates at near record highs.
Carter lost the 1980 election by a landslide, winning only six US states plus Washington DC.
After leaving the White House, he became the first and only president to return full-time to the house he lived in before politics – a humble, two-bedroom ranch-style home.
He chose not to pursue the lucrative after-dinner speeches and publishing deals awaiting most former presidents, telling the Washington Post in 2018, that he never really wanted to be rich.
Instead, he spent his remaining years trying to address global problems of inequality and disease.
He founded the Carter Center in 1982 to pursue his vision of world diplomacy, and received the 2002 Nobel Peace Prize for his efforts with the foundation to promote human rights around the world.
He also teamed up with Nelson Mandela to found The Elders, a group of global leaders who committed themselves to work on peace and human rights.
Carter is survived by his four children, 11 grandchildren and 14 great-grandchildren.
His wife, Rosalynn, who he was married to for 77 years, died in November 2023.
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 unselfish love”.
“My brothers, sister, and I shared him with the rest of the world through these common beliefs. The world is our family because of the way he brought people together.”
Since 2018 and the death of George HW Bush, Carter was the oldest surviving US president.
Carter stopped medical treatment for an undisclosed illness last year and instead began receiving hospice care at his home. He had suffered from health issues including a melanoma that spread to his liver and brain.
Another leading tribute came from Barack Obama, who reflected on spending time with Carter, saying that “he taught all of us what it means to live a life of grace, dignity, justice, and service”.
Maranatha Baptist Church in Plains, where Carter taught Sunday school well into his 90s, “will be a little quieter on Sundays”, Obama said.
“But President Carter will never be far away – buried alongside Rosalynn next to a willow tree down the road, his memory calling all of us to heed our better angels.”
Former US President Bill Clinton and his wife, former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, also spoke of Carter’s faith.
“President Carter lived to serve others – until the very end,” they said in a statement.
