Getty ImagesJoe Biden and Donald Trump led tributes to former US President and Nobel Peace Prize winner Jimmy Carter, who died at the age of 100.
Carter, who lived longer than any president in history, He died on Sunday afternoon At his home in Plains, Georgia.
Biden described him as “a man of principle, faith, and humility,” while Trump said that all Americans owe Carter “a debt of gratitude.”
Carter rose from peanut farmer to become president in 1977, before being forced to leave the White House after just one term after Ronald Reagan won the 1981 election.
After leaving the White House with low approval ratings, he restored his reputation through humanitarian work that earned him a Nobel Peace Prize.
“Today, America and the world lost an extraordinary leader, statesman, and humanitarian,” President Biden and First Lady Jill Biden said in a statement.
They added: “To all the young people of this nation and anyone searching for what it means to live a life of purpose and meaning – the good life – study Jimmy Carter, a man of principle, faith and humility.”
He added: “He showed that we are a great nation because we are good people, respectful and honorable, brave and compassionate, humble and strong.”
President-elect Trump posted on Truth Social: “The challenges Jimmy has faced as President have come at a pivotal time for our country and he has done everything he can to improve the lives of all Americans.
“And for that, we all owe him a debt of gratitude.”
World leaders also praised 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.”
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said that Carter was “driven by his strong faith and values” and that he “redefined the post-presidential era 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 at a time when Ukraine was not yet independent, and yet his heart stood strong with us in our ongoing fight for freedom.”
French President Emmanuel Macron said he was “a steadfast defender of the rights of the most vulnerable groups and fought tirelessly 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 severe economic problems and numerous foreign policy challenges, including the hostage crisis in Iran, which ended with the deaths of eight Americans.
However, there was a notable foreign policy victory in the Middle East when he helped broker an agreement between Egypt and Israel, signed at Camp David in the United States in 1978.
But that seemed like a distant memory two years later, when voters overwhelmingly chose Republican Ronald Reagan, who portrayed the president as a weak leader unable to handle inflation and interest rates at near-record levels.
Carter lost the 1980 election by a landslide, winning only six US states plus Washington, D.C.
After leaving the White House, he became the first and only president to return full-time to the home he lived in before politics — a modest two-bedroom ranch-style home.
He chose not to pursue the lucrative after-dinner speeches and publishing deals that awaited most former presidents. He told The Washington Post in 2018that he never wanted to become rich.
Instead, he spent his remaining years trying to address the global problems of inequality and disease.
He founded the Carter Center in 1982 to pursue his vision for global diplomacy, and won the Nobel Peace Prize in 2002 for his efforts with the foundation to promote human rights around the world.
He also collaborated with Nelson Mandela to found The Elders, a group of global leaders who committed to working for peace and human rights.
Getty ImagesCarter is survived by his four children, 11 grandchildren, and 14 great-grandchildren.
His wife, Rosalyn, to whom he was married for 77 years, died in November 2023.
Carter's son, Chip, said when his death was announced that his father was “a hero, not only to me, but to everyone who believes in peace, human rights, and selfless love.”
“My brothers, sister, and I shared it with the rest of the world through these shared beliefs. The world is our family because of the way it brings people together.”
Since 2018 and the death of George H. W. Bush, Carter has become the oldest living President of the United States.
Carter stopped medical treatment for an undisclosed illness last year and instead began receiving hospice care at his home. He was suffering from health problems, including skin cancer that had spread to his liver and brain.
Another major tribute came from Barack Obama, who spoke of spending time with Carter, saying: “He taught us all what it means to live a life of grace, dignity, justice and service.”
Maranatha Baptist Church in Plains, where Carter taught Sunday school in his 90s, “will be a little quieter on Sundays,” Obama said.
“But President Carter will never be far away – he is buried alongside Rosalynn by a willow tree down the road, and his memory calls on all of us to take care of our better angels.”
Former US President Bill Clinton and his wife, former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, also spoke about Carter's faith.
“President Carter lived to serve others until the end,” they said in a statement.
