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Jimmy Carter dies: See reactions, plans for tributes after former president’s death

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Jimmy Carter dies: See reactions, plans for tributes after former president’s death

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Jimmy Carter, the 39th president of the United States who dedicated much of his life to humanitarian causes, died in his hometown of Plains, Georgia, his family announced Sunday.

The former president was known for his work with philanthropic organizations like Habitat for Humanity and was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2002. 

In the White House from 1977 to 1981, Carter negotiated the landmark Camp David peace accords between Israel and Egypt, transferred the Panama Canal to Panamanian ownership, dramatically expanded public lands in Alaska and established formal diplomatic relations with the People’s Republic of China.

Carter, who had been in ailing health during the past decade, was in hospice care for more than a year. Tributes to Carter poured in from around the world after he died Sunday.

Biden on Jimmy Carter: ‘The world lost a remarkable leader‘

On Sunday night, President Joe Biden honored his “dear friend” Jimmy Carter, pointing to his accomplishments as president and his time as Georgia’s governor.

“This is a sad day, but it brings back an incredible amount of good memories,” Biden said during remarks in Christiansted, Saint Croix, where the president is currently on vacation. “Today, America and the world, in my view, lost a remarkable leader.”

Biden was on the phone with Carter’s family before delivering remarks, he added.

The president shared his fondest memory with Carter, saying it was when he first endorsed his candidacy for president. 

“My fondest memory of Jimmy Carter was when he grabbed me by the arm and said, ‘I need you to help me with my campaign,'” Biden said. “I said, ‘I’ve only been around a couple years, Mr. Governor.'”

Biden said he wasn’t sure whether he would make a difference in supporting Carter’s candidacy, but the then-Georgia governor said he would.

“I told him when I was endorsing him, that it was not only his policies, but his character, his decency, the honor he communicates to everyone,” Biden said, adding that he also appreciated how “very kind” Carter was to he and Jill Biden after his son Beau Biden died. 

Biden later commended Carter as a “model of what it means to live a life of meaning and purpose” and how he treated people with respect.

“Jimmy Carter is an example of just simple decency,” Biden said. “And I think that’s what the rest of the world looks to America for.”

Biden added: “Can you imagine Jimmy Carter walking by someone that needs something and just keep walking? Can you imagine Jimmy Carter referring to someone by the way they look or where they talk? I can’t.”

– Rebecca Morin

PLAINS, Ga. — In the hours after President Jimmy Carter’s death, the only business open at 8:30 p.m. Sunday in Plains was Dollar General.

People bustled through the grocery store including Penny Smith, who has lived in Plains for 48 years. She married into the town, she said with a smile, adding later that she knew Carter.

“It’s been an experience. I actually worked for the city for many years and was very involved in President Carter’s dealings,” Smith explained.

Smith said she served on the Better Hometown Program with Carter and helped form the Friends of Jimmy Carter National Historic Site.

“He loved his community, and he did a lot for his community,” Smith said. “We’ll miss him dearly.”

She described a time Carter came to her for advice after he was having difficulties with zoning for a house he was building in Plains. She was aghast that the former president of the United States was coming to her for advice. 

But that’s just the way Carter was, according to Smith. 

“He loved everybody,” Penny Smith said. “He is a natural. He, I think, has a God-given talent, I think, at making peace. I’ve experienced him through the years how he would negotiate and talk to people.”

Brad Bagwell, who drove to the store a few minutes after Smith, described Carter as inspiring. Bagwell lived in Plains as a kid and was back to visit family.

“I’d say he’s kind of the fabric of the community and something that everybody rallies around,” Bagwell said. “He’s always been around to care about, not just the town, but the people.”

– Alex Gladden, Montgomery Advertiser

Vice President Kamala Harris said in a statement that “Jimmy Carter’s life is a testament to the power of service — as a Lieutenant in the United States Navy, the 76th Governor of Georgia, and the 39th President of the United States. He reminded our nation and the world that there is strength in decency and compassion.”

Harris also reflected on Carter’s efforts to protect the environment, promote government transparency and work toward peace around the world.

“I had the privilege of knowing President Carter for years. I will always remember his kindness, wisdom, and profound grace. His life and legacy continue to inspire me — and will inspire generations to come. Our world is a better place because of President Carter,” Harris said.

Jimmy Carter told his son, Chip Carter, earlier this year “I’m only trying to make it to vote for Kamala Harris,” in the 2024 election the Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported. The Carter Center confirmed to USA TODAY the former president voted by mail for the vice president in Georgia.

− Marina Pitofsky and Sarah D. Wire

Former President Barack Obama and former first lady Michelle Obama on Sunday remembered Carter’s commitment to his faith, reflecting on his decades of teaching Sunday school at Maranatha Baptist Church in Plains, Georgia and the worshippers who flocked to the church.

“Some who came to hear him speak were undoubtedly there because of what President Carter accomplished in his four years in the White House – the Camp David Accords he brokered that reshaped the Middle East; the work he did to diversify the federal judiciary, including nominating a pioneering women’s rights activist and lawyer named Ruth Bader Ginsburg to the federal bench; the environmental reforms he put in place, becoming one of the first leaders in the world to recognize the problem of climate change,” the Obamas said.

“Others were likely there because of what President Carter accomplished in the longest, and most impactful, post-presidency in American history,” they said, noting “But I’m willing to bet that many people in that church on Sunday morning were there, at least in part, because of something more fundamental: President Carter’s decency.

− Marina Pitofsky

Former President George W. Bush and former first lady Laura Bush on Sunday said Carter “dignified the office” of the presidency during his lifetime of service.

“James Earl Carter, Jr., was a man of deeply held convictions. He was loyal to his family, his community, and his country. President Carter dignified the office,” they said.

“And his efforts to leave behind a better world didn’t end with the presidency. His work with Habitat for Humanity and the Carter Center set an example of service that will inspire Americans for generations,” they added.

− Marina Pitofsky

Former President Bill Clinton and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton on Sunday praised Jimmy Carter for his efforts for “a better, fairer world.”

“Hillary and I mourn the passing of President Jimmy Carter and give thanks for his long, good life,” the two said in a statement. “Guided by his faith, President Carter lived to serve others— until the very end.”

The Clintons met Carter in 1975 and were “proud, early supporters of his Presidential campaign,” they said in their statement. Bill Clinton said he was proud to have presented Carter, and his wife Rosalynn, with the Medal of Freedom in 1999.

Bill and Hillary Clinton in the statement highlighted his work throughout his political career, from state senator, to president and to his efforts post presidency.

− Rebecca Morin

President Joe Biden and first lady Jill Biden in a statement said “America and the world lost an extraordinary leader, statesman and humanitarian” in the wake of Carter’s death.

“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,” the president and first lady said.

“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. He saved, lifted, and changed the lives of people all across the globe.”

− Marina Pitofsky

President-elect Donald Trump shared in a post on Truth Social that “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.”

“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,” he added.

Trump frequently criticized Carter on the campaign trail. For example, earlier this year he told a crowd of supporters in Wisconsin “Jimmy Carter is the happiest man because Jimmy Carter is considered a brilliant president by comparison,” while criticizing President Joe Biden.

− Marina Pitofsky

Jason Carter, Jimmy Carter’s eldest grandson, shared a musical tribute to his grandfather on Sunday, simply sharing a link to a performance of Jason Isbell’s song “Last of My Kind.”

The chorus of the song tells listeners “I’m the last of my kind, Try to find another just like me, You’ll be looking for a real long time.”

− Marina Pitofsky

 Citizens across the globe praised former President Jimmy Carter as family members prepared for a memorial journey from Plains, Georgia, to Atlanta and Washington, D.C., before returning for burial at his home in south Georgia.

According to the Carter Center, public memorial observances will take place in both Atlanta and Washington, D.C., for the 39th president of the United States, who died Sunday at 100.

Final arrangements for Carter’s state funeral are pending, with a formal schedule to come from the Joint Task Force-National Capital Region. The Carter Center urged members of the public to visit the official tribute website, which includes an online condolence book and other materials commemorating the life of the nation’s longest-living former president and only one to reach the century milestone.

− David Jackson

Contributing: Alex Gladden, Montgomery Advertiser

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