Obama, Trump and the King remember ‘incredible leader’ Jimmy Carter
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Fellow politicians and family members have paid tribute to former US president Jimmy Carter, who died on Sunday afternoon, aged 100.
The centenarian and Nobel Peace Prize winner died at his home in Plains, Georgia, surrounded by his family, the Carter Center said.
Joe and Jill Biden
The current US president and first lady paid tribute, calling him “an extraordinary leader, statesman and humanitarian” as well as a “dear friend”.
In a statement, they added: “But, 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.”
US president-elect Donald Trump
The incoming US president Donald Trump, who takes office on 20 January, said: “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.”
Read more: ‘Jimmy who?’ The US president 1970s America really needed
Former US president Barack Obama
Fellow Democrat Barack Obama honoured Mr Carter’s achievements in the White House, including “the Camp David Accords he brokered that reshaped the Middle East… nominating a pioneering women’s rights activist and lawyer named Ruth Bader Ginsburg to the federal bench… [and] becoming one of the first leaders in the world to recognise the problem of climate change”.
He also paid tribute to the “longest, and most impactful, post-presidency in American history”, during which he monitored more than 100 national elections, helped virtually eliminate Guinea worm disease, and built or repaired thousands of homes around the world with his wife Rosalynn as part of Habitat for Humanity.
The Obamas have bid farewell to Jimmy Carter (second from left). Pic: AP
Former US president George W Bush
Mr Bush said his predecessor “dignified the office”.
“And his efforts to leave behind a better world didn’t end with the presidency. His work with Habitat for Humanity and the Carter Center set an example of service that will inspire Americans for generations.”
Carter gathered with fellow former presidents including George W Bush in 2009. Pic: AP
Bill and Hillary Clinton
Former president Bill Clinton, who worked with Jimmy Carter after he left the White House, and secretary Hillary Clinton said he “lived to serve others – until the very end”.
“From his commitment to civil rights as a state senator and governor of Georgia; to his efforts as president to… 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… he worked tirelessly for a better, fairer world,” they said in a statement.
Former US vice president Al Gore
Mr Gore praised Jimmy Carter for living “a life full of purpose, commitment and kindness” and for being a “lifelong role model for the entire environmental movement”.
UK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer
In his tribute, Sir Keir said Mr Carter “redefined the post-presidency with a remarkable commitment to social justice and human rights at home and abroad”.
The King
The UK’s monarch said he learned of President Carter’s death with “great sadness”, adding that he was “a committed public servant, and devoted his life to promoting peace and human rights”.
The King added: “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.”
Former UK prime minister Gordon Brown
Mr Brown said he was “so sad” to hear of the death of his “good friend”.
The former UK leader said Mr Carter would be “rightly remembered as a statesman of unimpeachable integrity, who was admired around the world for his lifelong charitable work, his unwavering support for human rights and for his wonderful generosity of sprit”.
Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter were given traditional Ghanaian attire as a gift from the chief of Tingoli village in northern Ghana, during a field trip to assess Carter Center disease prevention work in Africa. Pic: Carter Centre
French President Emmanuel Macron
“Throughout his life, Jimmy Carter defended the rights of the most vulnerable people and tirelessly led the fight for peace,” the French president wrote on X.
“France sends its heartfelt thoughts to his family and to the American people.”
Husam Zomlot, former Palestinian ambassador to the US
Mr Zomlot, now ambassador to the UK, said Mr Carter would be “remembered by the Palestinian people as the first US president to advocate for the freedom of Palestine and the first to warn about Israeli apartheid”.
He added: “He worked for decades to achieve a just and lasting peace in Palestine and the rest of the region.”
Chip Carter
His son, Chip Carter, said: “My father was a hero, not only to me but to everyone who believes in peace, human rights and unselfish love.
“My brothers, sister and I shared him with the rest of the world through these common beliefs.
“The world is our family because of the way he brought people together, and we thank you for honouring his memory by continuing to live these shared beliefs.”
