- Former President Jimmy Carter died on Sunday at the age of 100.
- Business and political leaders celebrated Carter’s humanitarian work.
- President-elect Donald Trump said the world owed Carter “a debt of gratitude.”
Former President Jimmy Carter died on Sunday at the age of 100. World leaders responded with an outpouring of support, celebrating Carter’s legacy as a humanitarian.
Carter served as president from 1977 to 1981 but is perhaps most known for his work after his presidency.
Carter championed human rights and pushed for peace in various corners of the world. In 1982, he founded The Carter Center to focus on such issues and played an active role with Habitat for Humanity until the end of his life.
President Joe Biden said the “world lost an extraordinary leader, statesman, and humanitarian.”
“With his compassion and moral clarity, he worked to eradicate disease, forge peace, advance civil rights and human rights, promote free and fair elections, house the homeless, and always advocate for the least among us,” Biden said in a statement. “He saved, lifted, and changed the lives of people all across the globe.”
Biden said that the love Carter shared with his late wife, Rosalynn Carter, was “the definition of partnership” and that their leadership was “the definition of patriotism.”
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer wrote on X that Carter led an “extraordinary life” that touched countless people’s lives through his vision and generosity.
As we remember President Carter’s extraordinary life, we also honor the countless lives he touched through his 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… pic.twitter.com/NdDU43WTGk
— Chuck Schumer (@SenSchumer) December 29, 2024
Also on X, Apple CEO Tim Cook shared a photo of the former president wearing a tool belt in front of a construction site with the message: “Today, we honor President Carter’s lifetime of service and his commitment to leaving the world better than he found it. May he rest in peace.”
Sen. Bernie Sanders said on X that Carter would be remembered as a “decent, honest and down-to-earth man” for both his time as president and his later humanitarian work.
“He will be sorely missed,” Sanders wrote.
US Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg also shared a tribute to the former president on X, writing that Carter’s “leadership, intellect, and moral example ennobled our country, during and ever since his presidency.”
President and Mrs. Carter were also extraordinarily gracious and kind to Chasten and me, receiving us warmly at their home and making us feel like friends even as we sat amazed by their presence and grace. pic.twitter.com/iZe4BDULht
— Pete Buttigieg (@PeteButtigieg) December 29, 2024
President-elect Donald Trump wrote on Truth Social that Carter’s presidency “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.”
“Melania and I are thinking warmly of the Carter Family and their loved ones during this difficult time,” Trump said. “We urge everyone to keep them in their hearts and prayers.”
