Jimmy Carter’s ‘Giant’ Legacy: Politicians and Celebrities Pay Tribute
Musicians, actors, politicians, and public figures paid tribute to former President Jimmy Carter, celebrating his philanthropic and political legacy. Carter died at the age of 100 in his Georgia home on Sunday.
President Joe Biden and First Lady Jill Biden reflected on their close relationship with the former president, calling him “a dear friend.”
“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,” they wrote in a statement.
Former President Barack Obama and Michelle Obama honored Carter’s philanthropic work after he left the White House, calling it “the longest, and most impactful, post-presidency in American history — monitoring more than 100 elections around the world; helping virtually eliminate Guinea worm disease, an infection that had haunted Africa for centuries; becoming the only former president to earn a Nobel Peace Prize; and building or repairing thousands of homes in more than a dozen countries with his beloved Rosalynn as part of Habitat for Humanity.”
“Guided by his faith, President Carter lived to serve others — until the very end,” former President Bill Clinton and former Secretary Hillary Clinton wrote in a joint statement.
President-elect Donald Trump posted a brief statement on Truth Social: “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 Majority Leader Chuck Schumer remembered Carter’s legacy of service: “President Carter’s faith in the American people and his belief in the power of kindness and humility leave a strong legacy,” he said in a statement. “He taught us that the strength of a leader lies not in rhetoric but in action, not in personal gain but in service to others.”
Former Georgia State Representative Stacey Abrams called Carter “a giant who never saw anyone as smaller than himself.”
“Whether at a Boys & Girls Club banquet or when he sponsored a medical clinic for the uninsured in his corner of rural Georgia, he lived James 2:17 each day,” she wrote on X. “Jimmy Carter built homes, saved lives and tended to souls.”
Heart lead singer Nancy Wilson called Carter “an incredible bridge between policy and our humanity,” while actress Jamie Lee Curtis wrote a brief tribute on Instagram that said, “Thank you for teaching us all how to be humans Mr. President.”
Killer Mike, who was born in Carter’s home state, posted to X: “I am honored to say I have known a ‘Good Man’ who truly made a difference in a wicked world.”
