(Luis Cornelio, Headline USA) President-elect Trump, along with other former and current presidents, shared heartfelt reactions to the death of Jimmy Carter, the nation’s 38th president.
Trump, President Joe Biden and former presidents Barack Obama, George W. Bush and Bill Clinton all thanked Carter for his public service and honorable life after leaving office in 1981.
In a statement posted on Truth Social, Trump acknowledged Carter’s “love and respect” for the country, despite their philosophical and political differences.
“He worked hard to make America a better place, and for that I give him my highest respect,” he added. “He was a truly good man and, of course, will be greatly missed. He was also very consequential, far more than most Presidents, after he left the Oval Office.”
Biden, who has less than a month left in office, echoed Trump’s sentiments in a statement released from the White House, calling Carter a “man of great character and courage.”
“We will always cherish seeing him and Rosalynn together,” the 81-year-old president wrote. “The love shared between Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter is the definition of partnership and their humble leadership is the definition of patriotism.”
Over six decades, Jill and I had the honor of calling Jimmy Carter a dear friend.
But, what’s extraordinary about Jimmy Carter, though, is that millions of people throughout America and the world who never met him thought of him as a dear friend as well. pic.twitter.com/irknhZ6CJY
— President Biden (@POTUS) December 29, 2024
Biden has ordered an official state funeral for Carter, set to take place about a week from now.
Carter passed away after nearly two years in hospice care and a year after the death of his wife, former First Lady Rosalynn Carter, who died on Nov. 19, 2023.
Obama’s comments about Carter’s passing oddly took a political tone, reflecting on Carter being elected after “the shadow of Watergate.”
“Jimmy Carter promised voters that he would always tell the truth,” Obama declared via Medium. “And he did — advocating for the public good, consequences be damned. He believed some things were more important than reelection — things like integrity, respect, and compassion.”
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. https://t.co/dZHL0Nu0Tj
— Barack Obama (@BarackObama) December 29, 2024
Bush and Clinton also expressed their condolences to the Carter family in separate statements shared via X.
“We join our fellow citizens in giving thanks for Jimmy Carter and in prayer for his family,” Bush wrote, while Clinton added: “Hillary and I mourn the passing of President Jimmy Carter and give thanks for his long, good life.”
STATEMENT BY PRESIDENT GEORGE W. BUSH ON PRESIDENT JAMES EARL CARTER, JR.
⁰"Laura and I send our heartfelt condolences to Jack, Chip, Jeff, Amy, and the entire Carter family.“James Earl Carter, Jr., was a man of deeply held convictions. He was loyal to his family, his… pic.twitter.com/2hzebCyS4g
— George W. Bush Presidential Center (@TheBushCenter) December 29, 2024
Hillary's and my statement on the passing of President Jimmy Carter: pic.twitter.com/SOgqTZUdi6
— Bill Clinton (@BillClinton) December 29, 2024
Before being elected president in the 1976 presidential election, Carter served as the 76th governor of Georgia, was a lieutenant in the U.S. Navy and graduated from the U.S. Naval Academy.
He only served one term, losing re-election to former President Ronald Reagan.
