Heartfelt tributes are pouring in from world leaders celebrating the life and humanitarian achievements of James Earl “Jimmy” Carter Jr, the former US president, who has died aged 100.
Carter, a naval officer, Nobel Peace Prize winner and peanut farm operator who became the 39th president of the United States, died at his home in Plains, Georgia, on Sunday, December 29, according to his son.
He served as president for one term from 1977 to 1981, but is just as well-known for his humanitarian service after leaving Washington, DC, working for Habitat for Humanity and negotiating peace deals.
President-elect Donald Trump said Carter is owed a “debt of gratitude”, while President Joe Biden described Carter as a “dear friend”. Former President Barack Obama and his wife Michelle lauded Carter as “the longest, and most impactful, post-presidency in American history”.
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer praised Carter’s “remarkable commitment to social justice and human rights” while King Charles III thanked the former president for “promoting peace”.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said the former president’s “heart stood firmly with us in our ongoing fight for freedom”. President Isaac Herzog of Israel called Carter “courageous and beloved”.
Key points
-
Trump and Biden lead tributes to Jimmy Carter after former president dies aged 100
-
What to know about Jimmy Carter’s funeral
-
Obama hails Carter’s White House accomplishments and ‘most impactful’ post-presidency
-
Carter’s dedication and humility was an inspiration, King Charles says
ICYMI: Trump, Biden and Obama pay tribute to ‘public servant’ Jimmy Carter after his death aged 100
12:05 , James Liddell
Washington‘s political heavyweights paid tribute to former President Jimmy Carter after his death was announced on Sunday by his family.
The nation’s 39th president was renowned for his commitment to public service in the years after his exit from political life and earned a strong reputation for helping America’s neediest families in his post-presidential years.
After news of his passing was reported by the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, tributes began to swiftly pour in for the 100-year-old statesman.
John Bowden has collated the tributes below.
Lawmakers pay tribute to ‘public servant’ Jimmy Carter after his death aged 100
Where might former president Jimmy Carter’s savings go after he dies?
11:50 , James Liddell
Jimmy Carter, former president of the United States, was not an extravagant man.
He lived on a property in Plains, Georgia — where he died Sunday at age 100 — that was worth a fraction of the average U.S. house price, he shopped at budget stores, and he did not fly privately.
The least expensive former president for the U.S. government, Carter and his wife Rosalynn — who died in 2023 — lived a surprisingly average life after his term ended in 1981.
Katie Hawkinson has the story.
Where might former president Jimmy Carter’s money go after he dies?
Remants of the US embassy crisis in Tehran remain
11:35 , James Liddell
Meeting Jimmy Carter — and getting a scoop about Bush, Blair and Iraq from the perfect gentleman
11:20 , James Liddell
The thing that sticks in my mind — even now — was the welcoming eyes and the warm smile.
He stretched out his hand to offer it in greeting and said something along the measure of: “Thanks for coming down to see us.”
Jimmy Carter — who died Sunday at his home in Plains, Georgia, at age 100 — was always known as a gentleman, a farmer from Georgia who had held the most powerful political office in the world. But it did not seem forced, it did not seem an act.
I’d flown to the offices of The Carter Center in Atlanta to interview him about his latest book, The Hornet’s Nest: A Novel of the Revolutionary War. He’d written plenty of books — he would go on to author more than 30 — but this was his first novel, one that the publisher Simon & Schuster described as “a sweeping novel of the American South and the War of Independence.”
Find out more about when Andrew Buncombe met the 39th president.
Meeting Jimmy Carter — and getting a scoop about Bush, Blair and Iraq
Carter never got to appoint a Supreme Court justice. Trump appointed three
11:07 , James Liddell
Jimmy Carter served a full presidential term without the chance to appoint a Supreme Court justice.
Carter, who died on Sunday aged 100, sat in the White House from 1977 to 1981. While serving the single term before being succeeded by Ronald Reagan, Carter did not appoint a single justice to the higher court, as no vacancies occurred.
He marks the only one-term president to finish a full term without making an appointment and the fourth overall.
Donald Trump, however, appointed three in his first term: Amy Coney Barrett, Brett Kavanaugh and Neil Gorsuch. They make up half of the six justices appointed by GOP presidents, with nine making up the current Supreme Court.
Trump says he ‘strongly disagrees’ with Carter ‘philosophically and politically’ in second statment
10:53 , James Liddell
Watch: Biden says America lost ‘remarkable leader’ as he pays tribute to ‘dear friend’
10:40 , James Liddell
Continuing a life of public service, Jimmy Carter spent his final years building houses for the poor
10:28 , Alex Croft
He was the oldest living president and had been out of the White House for more than 35 years, but Jimmy Carter never stopped working to improve the lives of others — much of which included building homes for the needy.
Even well into his 90s, Carter put on a hard hat and volunteered with Habitat for Humanity, the nonprofit organization he often partnered with through The Carter Center.
The one-term president — who died Sunday at his home in Plains, Georgia — worked alongside 103,000 volunteers in 14 countries to build, renovate and repair 4,331 homes with Habitat for Humanity for more than 35 years. Often, Carter and his late wife, former first lady Rosalynn Carter, volunteered together.
Graeme Massie and Ariana Baio have the story.
How Jimmy Carter built houses for the poor until his final years
Watch: Carter recalls advice he was given during Iranian hostage crisis
10:17 , Alex Croft
From 2010, former President Jimmy Carter on Iranian hostages: “The main advice I got was to attack Iran…but I was convinced then and still am convinced that had I done so I would have killed maybe 10,000 innocent Iranians and they would immediately have executed our hostages.” pic.twitter.com/C9cQZQXC1E
— CSPAN (@cspan) December 29, 2024
‘We give money, we don’t take it’: Where might former president Jimmy Carter’s savings go after he dies?
10:05 , Alex Croft
Jimmy Carter, former president of the United States, was not an extravagant man.
He lived on a property in Plains, Georgia — where he died Sunday at age 100 — that was worth a fraction of the average U.S. house price, he shopped at budget stores, and he did not fly privately.
The least expensive former president for the U.S. government, Carter and his wife Rosalynn — who died in 2023 — lived a surprisingly average life after his term ended in 1981.
While the Carters lived a public life, they were nothing if not generous with their money.
“We give money, we don’t take it,” the former president told The Los Angeles Times in 1989 — though his record of charitable donations speaks for itself.
Katie Hawkinson has the report:
Where might former president Jimmy Carter’s money go after he dies?
Watch: President Biden’s full remarks on passing of Jimmy Carter
09:52 , Alex Croft
Explained: What happens when a president dies?
09:40 , Alex Croft
There are a number of traditions and customs that govern the death of a US president, but the wishes of the family are also heavily considered, meaning the proceedings can be quite different from each other.
Gustaf Kilander explains.
What happens when a president dies?
Watch: Carter believed Trump lost in 2016 but Russia interfered
09:27 , Alex Croft
From 2019, former President Jimmy Carter: If fully investigated, it would show that Trump didn’t actually win the election in 2016. He lost the election and he was put in office because the Russians interfered on his behalf. pic.twitter.com/o71Z4InVxB
— CSPAN (@cspan) December 30, 2024
Obituary — Jimmy Carter: The unlikely 39th president of the United States
09:14 , Alex Croft
Despite just one four-year and somewhat unorthodox term in office, Jimmy Carter brought much hope to the White House during a tenure that was marred by several major crisises.
As America’s 39th president, he emphasized human rights in his foreign policy, championed environmentalism at a time when it was not yet popular, and appointed record numbers of women and people of color during his administration, which lasted from 1977 to 1981.
Read on…
Jimmy Carter: The 39th president of the United States
Watch: Carter says best thing he ever did was marry Rosalynn
08:53 , Alex Croft
Meeting Jimmy Carter — and getting a scoop about Bush, Blair and Iraq from the perfect gentleman
08:40 , Alex Croft
The thing that sticks in my mind — even now — was the welcoming eyes and the warm smile.
He stretched out his hand to offer it in greeting and said something along the measure of: “Thanks for coming down to see us.”
Jimmy Carter — who died Sunday at his home in Plains, Georgia, at age 100 — was always known as a gentleman, a farmer from Georgia who had held the most powerful political office in the world. But it did not seem forced, it did not seem an act.
I’d flown to the offices of The Carter Center in Atlanta to interview him about his latest book, The Hornet’s Nest: A Novel of the Revolutionary War. He’d written plenty of books — he would go on to author more than 30 — but this was his first novel, one that the publisher Simon & Schuster described as “a sweeping novel of the American South and the War of Independence.”
Meeting Jimmy Carter — and getting a scoop about Bush, Blair and Iraq
Carter’s dedication and humility was an inspiration – King Charles
08:30 , Alex Croft
King Charles has responded to Jimmy Carter’s death with “great sadness”.
He wrote in a post on X: “It was with great sadness that I learned of the death of former President Carter. He was a committed public servant, and devoted his life to promoting peace and human rights.
“His dedication and humility served as an inspiration to many, and I remember with great fondness his visit to the United Kingdom in 1977.
“My thoughts and prayers are with President Carter’s family and the American people at this time.”
Live: Flag lowered at Capitol Hill to honour former president Jimmy Carter
08:19 , Alex Croft
Jimmy Carter, who rose from humble peanut farmer to president, dies aged 100
08:00 , Oliver O’Connell
James Earl “Jimmy” Carter Jr, a naval officer, Nobel Peace Prize winner and peanut farm operator who became governor of Georgia and later the 39th president of the United States, has died.
Carter, who was the longest-living former US president, died at the age of 100 on Sunday, 29 December, his son announced. An immediate cause was not given.
He served as president for one term from 1977 to 1981, but is just as well-known for his humanitarian service after leaving Washington DC, working for Habitat for Humanity and negotiating peace deals.
Ariana Baio and Andrew Feinberg report.
Jimmy Carter, US president and human rights champion, has died
07:50 , Oliver O’Connell
The life we have now is the best of all. We have an expanding and harmonious family, a rich life in our church and the Plains community, and a diversity of projects at The Carter Center that is adventurous and exciting. Rosalynn and I have visited more than 145 countries, and both of us are as active as we have ever been. We are blessed with good health and look to the future with eagerness and confidence, but are prepared for inevitable adversity when it comes.
Jimmy Carter — From 2015 book, ‘A Full Life’
Watch: Carter’s modest life after leaving office
07:30 , Oliver O’Connell
From sleeping in a Murphy Bed that pops out of the wall to carrying his own bags, former president Jimmy Carter preferred to live modestly. He died today at age 100. pic.twitter.com/Em73SgOYZ9
— 60 Minutes (@60Minutes) December 29, 2024
07:10 , Oliver O’Connell
I had a very challenging question at Emory (University) the other night: “How would you describe the United States of America today in one word?” And I didn’t know what to say for a few moments, but I finally said, “Searching.” I think the country in which we live is still searching for what it ought to be, and what it can be, and I’m not sure we’re making much progress right at this moment.
Jimmy Carter — October 2014 during a celebration of his 90th birthday
How Jimmy and Rosalynn returned to their Plains home after the White House
07:00 , Oliver O’Connell
Jimmy Carter once held the highest office in the land — but was just as content in his family home in small town Georgia.
At the age of 56, having lost the 1980 election to Ronald Reagan, Jimmy Carter returned to Plains, Georgia, the small town where both he and his wife Rosalynn were born in the 1920s.
From the White House, they moved back into the ranch house they built in the city in 1961. That modest home is where Carter peacefully died on Sunday at the age of 100.
Gustaf Kilander reports on how Carter was the humblest president in history.
How Jimmy and Rosalynn returned to Plains after the White House
06:50 , Oliver O’Connell
We accept self-congratulations about the wonderful 50th anniversary — which is wonderful — but we feel like Lyndon Johnson did it and we don’t have to do anything anymore.
Jimmy Carter — April 2014, commenting on racial inequality during a celebration of the Civil Rights Act’s 50th anniversary
Watch: ‘A professional commitment of the Carter Center to help poor people’
06:30 , Oliver O’Connell
From 2010 @BookTV interview, former President Jimmy Carter on the Carter Center: “It’s a matter of – you might say – a professional commitment of the Carter Center to help poor people. I guess it comes natural to me and all those who work with us.” pic.twitter.com/E1QSDO5pyA
— CSPAN (@cspan) December 29, 2024
06:10 , Oliver O’Connell
I don’t think there’s any doubt now that the NSA or other agencies monitor or record almost every telephone call made in the United States, including cellphones, and I presume email as well. We’ve gone a long way down the road of violating Americans’ basic civil rights, as far as privacy is concerned.
Jimmy Carter — March 2014, commenting on U.S. intelligence monitoring after the 9/11 terror attacks
Keir Starmer leads UK tributes to former US president Jimmy Carter
06:00 , Oliver O’Connell
Prime minister Sir Keir Starmer has led a host of tributes from UK politicians to former US president Jimmy Carter, who has died aged 100.
Sir Keir said Mr Carter – who was the longest-living former American president – will be remembered for the Camp David Accords between Israel and Egypt, as well as his “decades of selfless public service”.
Jabed Ahmed reports.
Keir Starmer leads UK tributes to former US president Jimmy Carter
05:50 , Oliver O’Connell
I have become convinced that the most serious and unaddressed worldwide challenge is the deprivation and abuse of women and girls, largely caused by a false interpretation of carefully selected religious texts and a growing tolerance of violence and warfare, unfortunately following the example set during my lifetime by the United States.
Jimmy Carter — From 2014 book ‘A Call to Action’
Watch: Nancy Pelosi speaks of Carter’s legacy
05:30 , Oliver O’Connell
05:10 , Oliver O’Connell
You know how much I raised to run against Gerald Ford? Zero. You know how much I raised to run against Ronald Reagan? Zero. You know how much will be raised this year by all presidential, Senate and House campaigns? $6 billion. That’s 6,000 millions.
Jimmy Carter — September 2012, reacting to the 2010 “Citizens United” U.S. Supreme Court decision permitting unlimited third-party political spending
How co-writing a book threatened the Carters’ marriage
05:00 , AP
“Everything to Gain,” a 1987 collaboration with his wife, Rosalynn, turned into the “worst threat we ever experienced in our marriage,” an intractable standoff for the facilitator of the Camp David Accords and winner of the Nobel Peace Prize.
Read on…
How co-writing a book threatened the Carters’ marriage
04:50 , Oliver O’Connell
I think it’s based on racism. There is an inherent feeling among many in this country that an African-American should not be president. … No matter who he is or how much we disagree with his policies, the president should be treated with respect.
Jimmy Carter — September 2009, reacting to Rep. Joe Wilson’s shout of “You lie!” during a speech to Congress by President Barack Obama
Watch: Carter delivers farewell address in January 1981
04:30 , Oliver O’Connell
04:10 , Oliver O’Connell
I think that this breakthrough by Barack Obama has been remarkable. When he made his speech (on race) a few months ago in Philadelphia, I wept. I sat in front of the television and cried, because I saw that as the most enlightening and transforming analysis of racism and a potential end of it that I ever saw in my life.
Jimmy Carter — August 2008, commenting on then-Sen. Barack Obama’s candidacy
Jimmy Carter: A life in photos
04:00 , Oliver O’Connell
Jimmy Carter’s life in photos
03:50 , Oliver O’Connell
Fundamentalists have become increasingly influential in both religion and government, and have managed to change the nuances and subtleties of historic debate into black-and-white rigidities and the personal derogation of those who dare to disagree. … The influence of these various trends poses a threat to many of our nation’s historic customs and moral commitments, both in government and in houses of worship.
Jimmy Carter — From ‘Our Endangered Values’ (2005)
Watch: Carter’s 1980 concession speech
03:30 , Oliver O’Connell
Pres. Carter 1980 concession: “The people of the U.S. have made their choice, and, of course, I accept that decision…I have a deep appreciation of the system, however, that lets people make the free choice about who will lead them for the next 4 years.” pic.twitter.com/DsRpinonVf
— CSPAN (@cspan) December 29, 2024
03:10 , Oliver O’Connell
War may sometimes be a necessary evil. But no matter how necessary, it is always an evil, never a good. We will not learn to live together in peace by killing each other’s children.
Jimmy Carter — December 2002, Nobel Peace Prize acceptance speech
Where might former president Jimmy Carter’s savings go after he dies?
03:00 , Oliver O’Connell
Jimmy Carter, former president of the United States, was not an extravagant man.
He lived on a property in Plains, Georgia — where he died Sunday at age 100 — that was worth a fraction of the average U.S. house price, he shopped at budget stores, and he did not fly privately.
The least expensive former president for the U.S. government, Carter and his wife Rosalynn — who died in 2023 — lived a surprisingly average life after his term ended in 1981.
While the Carters lived a public life, they were nothing if not generous with their money.
Katie Hawkinson has the story.
Where might former president Jimmy Carter’s money go after he dies?
02:50 , Oliver O’Connell
We appreciate the past. We are grateful for the present and we’re looking forward to the future with great anticipation and commitment.
Jimmy Carter — October 1986, at the dedication of the Carter Presidential Library and Museum
Watch: Carter says superpowers must ‘exercise restraint’ in 1980 State of the Union
02:30 , Oliver O’Connell
Carter 1980 SOTU: “We superpowers also have the responsibility to exercise restraint in the use of our great military force. The integrity and the independence of weaker nations must not be threatened. They must know that in our presence they are secure.” pic.twitter.com/LOoxtmFa0y
— CSPAN (@cspan) December 29, 2024
02:10 , Oliver O’Connell
But we know that democracy is always an unfinished creation. Each generation must renew its foundations. Each generation must rediscover the meaning of this hallowed vision in the light of its own modern challenges. For this generation, ours, life is nuclear survival; liberty is human rights; the pursuit of happiness is a planet whose resources are devoted to the physical and spiritual nourishment of its inhabitants.
Jimmy Carter — Farewell Address, January 1981
What to know about Jimmy Carter’s funeral
02:00 , Oliver O’Connell
Two public observances will be held for former President Jimmy Carter who died Sunday at the age of 100, and he will receive the full honors of a state funeral in the nation’s capitol.
Carter, who was the longest-living former American president, died at his home in Plains, Georgia, on Sunday according to his family.
The last time a Democratic president died was in 1973 when Lyndon Baines Johnson passed away at the age of 64, just a few years after leaving office.
The nation will now see the first funeral for a Democratic president in more than 50 years.
Andrea Cavallier and Andrew Georgeson have the details of what we know so far.
What to know about the Jimmy Carter’s funeral plans after his death aged 100
Watch: Biden reveals what inspired him about Carter’s post-presidency
01:50 , Oliver O’Connell
Reporter: Is there anything about Jimmy Carter’s time after leaving office that inspired you?
Biden: Yeah. Never give up hope. Never give up hope. I mean it from the bottom of my heart. So much negativism out there. pic.twitter.com/qLTckedE3W
— Acyn (@Acyn) December 30, 2024
01:40 , Oliver O’Connell
It’s clear that the true problems of our nation are much deeper — deeper than gasoline lines or energy shortages, deeper even than inflation and recession. … All the legislation in the world can’t fix what’s wrong with America. … It is a crisis of confidence.
Jimmy Carter — So-called ‘malaise’ speech, July 1979.
Watch: Carter delivers ‘Crisis of Confidence’ address
01:30 , Oliver O’Connell
01:10 , Oliver O’Connell
This inauguration ceremony marks a new beginning, a new dedication within our Government, and a new spirit among us all. A President may sense and proclaim that new spirit, but only a people can provide it.
Jimmy Carter — Inaugural address, January 1977
Carter ‘lived a life measured not by words, but by his deeds,’ says Biden
01:05 , Oliver O’Connell
In his remarks this evening, President Joe Biden said of the passing of the former president: “Jimmy Carter lived a life measured not by words, but by his deeds. Just look at his life. He worked to eradicate disease not just at home, but around the world. He forged peace, advanced civil rights, human rights… He built housing for the homeless with his own hands.”
Biden: Jimmy Carter lived a life measured not by words, but by his deeds. Just look at his life. He worked to eradicate disease not just at home, but around the world. He forged peace, advanced civil rights, human rights.. He built housing for the homeless with his own hands pic.twitter.com/lgwxsLduCW
— Acyn (@Acyn) December 30, 2024
Explained: What happens when a president dies?
01:00 , Oliver O’Connell
The last time a Democratic president died was in 1973 when Lyndon Baines Johnson passed away at the age of 64, just a few years after leaving office.
Following the death of Jimmy Carter on Sunday at the age of 100, the nation will now see the first funeral for a Democratic president in more than 50 years.
Carter is the longest-living president, who also had the longest post-presidency after leaving office at the age of 56 in 1981.
Gustaf Kilander looks at what happens next.
What happens when a president dies?
Biden says world lost ‘a remarkable leader’
00:55 , Oliver O’Connell
President Joe Biden on the passing of Jimmy Carter, said this evening: “Today, America and the world, in my view, lost a remarkable leader. He was a statesman, a humanitarian. And Jill and I lost a dear friend.”
President Biden on the passing of Jimmy Carter: Today, America and the world, in my view, lost a remarkable leader. He was a statesman, a humanitarian. And Jill and I lost a dear friend… pic.twitter.com/2PLhgIXvJ1
— Acyn (@Acyn) December 30, 2024
00:50 , Oliver O’Connell
Christ said, “I tell you that anyone who looks on a woman with lust has in his heart already committed adultery.” I’ve looked on a lot of women with lust. I’ve committed adultery in my heart many times. This is something that God recognizes I will do — and I have done it — and God forgives me for it. But that doesn’t mean that I condemn someone who not only looks on a woman with lust but who leaves his wife and shacks up with somebody out of wedlock.
Jimmy Carter — Interview, November 1976 Playboy
