President-elect Donald Trump on Sunday said the nation owes former President Jimmy Carter “a debt of gratitude.”
In a post on his Truth Social platform, Trump said the 39th president, who died Sunday at the age of 100, served the nation during a crucial time.
“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,” he wrote.
“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.”
Carter died in his hometown of Plains, Georgia, after spending nearly two years in hospice care.
In his message, Trump said, “Melania and I are thinking warmly of the Carter Family and their loved ones during this difficult time. We urge everyone to keep them in their hearts and prayers.”
In a follow-up post, Trump said that “while I strongly disagreed with him philosophically and politically, I also realized that he truly loved and respected our Country, and all it stands for.”
“He worked hard to make America a better place, and for that I give him my highest respect. He was a truly good man and, of course, will be greatly missed,” Trump continued.
“He was also very consequential, far more than most Presidents, after he left the Oval Office.”
Before his death, Carter was not expected to attend Trump’s inauguration on Jan. 20 because the Democrat was too frail to travel to the DC ceremony.
“President Carter has been in hospice care for nearly two years,” a spokesperson told The Post earlier this month. “As you can imagine, he no longer makes public appearances.”
Carter and his wife also skipped the swearing-in ceremony for President Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris in January 2021.
Trump’s gracious words were among several tributes that poured in from other former presidents.
“Elected in the shadow of Watergate, Jimmy Carter promised voters that he would always tell the truth. And he did — advocating for the public good, consequences be damned,” former President Barack Obama said in a statement.
“He believed some things were more important than reelection — things like integrity, respect, and compassion. Because Jimmy Carter believed, as deeply as he believed anything, that we are all created in God’s image.”
Biden called Carter “an extraordinary leader, statesman and humanitarian” in a statement released by the White House.
Follow the latest on President Jimmy Carter’s death
Former President George W. Bush called Carter “a man of deeply held convictions.”
“He was loyal to his family, his community, and his country. President Carter dignified the office. And his efforts to leave behind a better world didn’t end with the presidency,” the Republican said in a statement released by the Bush presidential center.
Carter, a former peanut farmer, was active in civic duties until his declining health stopped him from carrying out a myriad of good deeds, including his work for Habitat for Humanity. In 2002, he earned a Nobel Peace Prize for his ongoing effort as a global humanitarian.
An official state funeral is expected to be held in Washington DC for Carter.
