Reaction to the death of former President Jimmy Carter paid tribute to his service to the country and his contributions around the world after his time in the White House.
President Joe Biden called Carter “a man of great character and courage, hope and optimism.”
“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.”
Former President Bill Clinton said he and his wife Hillary Clinton “mourn the passing of President Jimmy Carter and give thanks for his long, good life. Guided by his faith, President Carter lived to serve others—until the very end.”
President George W. Bush welcomes former U.S. President’s, George H.W. Bush, Bill Clinton and Jimmy Carter and President-elect Barack Obama to the Oval Office at the White House in Washington, Jan. 7, 2009 .
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President-elect Donald Trump said of Carter, “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.”
Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell said, “President Carter lived a truly American dream. A devoutly religious peanut farmer from small-town Georgia volunteered to serve his country in uniform. He found himself manning cutting-edge submarines hundreds of feet beneath the ocean. He returned home and saved the family farm before feeling drawn to a different sort of public service. And less than 15 years after his first campaign for the state Senate, his fellow Americans elected him leader of the free world.”
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer called Carter “one of our most humble and devoted public servants.”
“President Carter personified the true meaning of leadership through service, through compassion, and through integrity,” Schumer said in a statement.
Vice President Mike Pence, Karen Pence, former Vice President Dan Quayle, Marilyn Quayle, former Vice President Dick Cheney, Lynne Chaney, former Vice President Joe Biden, Jill Biden, former Vice President Al Gore, President Donald Trump, first lady Melania Trump, former President Barack Obama, Michelle Obama, former President Bill Clinton, Hillary Clinton, former Jimmy Carter and Rosalynn Carter attend the state funeral for former President George H.W. Bush at the National Cathedral December 05, 2018 in Washington, DC.
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House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries said he was “Thankful for the incredible life, legacy and leadership of President Jimmy Carter,” in a post on X.
“He was a great man, a great role model and a great humanitarian.”
House Majority Leader Steve Scalise said Carter “set the standard for post-presidential service through his work with Habitat for Humanity.”
Clinton’s statement summarized Carter’s impact:
“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.”