Source: Politics
Former President Jimmy Carter’s death on Sunday prompted an outpouring of tributes from fellow presidents and politicians.
“Over six decades, we 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,” President Joe Biden said in a statement with first lady Jill Biden.
The Bidens celebrated the long and loving marriage between Carter and his wife Rosalynn, writing that it was “the definition of partnership and their humble leadership is the definition of patriotism.”
Carter entered the White House in 1977 as a new kind of president, a peanut farmer who capitalized on being an outsider. He aimed to reform the political culture. But the 39th president gained widespread acclaim for the charitable endeavors he took on after leaving the White House. He wrote more than two dozen books, built homes for Habitat for Humanity and monitored elections, among other acts.
President-elect Donald Trump, who frequently and derisively compared Carter’s presidency to that of Biden while on the campaign trail, said Carter did “everything in his power to improve the lives of all Americans.”
“Those of us who have been fortunate to have served as President understand this is a very exclusive club, and only we can relate to the enormous responsibility of leading the Greatest Nation in History,” Trump said on Truth Social.
Trump’s former vice president, Mike Pence, also released a statement honoring Carter.
“From his service in the @USNavy, as Governor of Georgia and as the 39th President of the United States, Jimmy Carter lived out his Christian faith and values with integrity and devotion,” Pence said on X.
Former President Bill Clinton recalled presenting Carter and his wife Rosslaynn with the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 1999.
“From his commitment to civil rights as a state senator and governor of Georgia; to his efforts as President to protect our natural resources in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, make energy conservation a national priority, return the Panama Canal to Panama, and secure peace between Egypt and Israel at Camp David; to his post-presidential efforts at the Carter Center supporting honest elections, advancing peace, combating disease, and promoting democracy; to his and Rosalynn’s devotion and hard work at Habitat for Humanity—he worked tirelessly for a better, fairer world,” Clinton said in a statement with and former first lady and secretary of State Hillary Clinton.
House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries called Carter “a great man, a great role model and a great humanitarian” in a post on X.
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer honored Carter’s “vision and generosity.”
“My thoughts are with the Carter family and all those mourning this incredible man. May his memory be a blessing and an enduring reminder of what it means to truly serve,” Schumer said on X.
Carter’s death was particularly felt in his home state of Georgia, where he served as governor and lived after the end of his presidency.
“Among his lifetime of service and countless accomplishments, President Carter will be remembered for his commitment to democracy and human rights, his enduring faith, his philanthropic leadership, and his deep love of family,” said Sen. Jon Ossoff (D-Ga.) on X.
Two-time Democratic gubernatorial candidate Stacey Abrams said that Carter was “a giant who never saw anyone as smaller than himself.”
“Jimmy Carter built homes, saved lives and tended to souls. God bless President Carter, may the family he and Mrs. Carter raised know only comfort in these days of grief,” Abrams wrote on X.