Trump, Obama, Biden, Clinton and many others: The initial reactions to the death of Jimmy Carter

Jimmy Carter died at 100, and tributes were quick to follow. Other former presidents, senators and much of Georgia politics bid farewell to the former Democratic president, who will be buried in Plains, Georgia, where he was born on Oct. 1, 1924. Carter was last seen in public in November 2023 to attend the funeral of his wife, Rosalyn.

Donald Trump, Joe Biden, Barack Obama, Bill Clinton, George W. Bush and many others paid tribute to the former Democratic president, who occupied the Oval Office from 1977 to 1981.

"Over six decades, we had the honor of calling Jimmy Carter a dear friend. 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," the Biden family said in a statement. Biden met Carter a few decades ago when Biden was a young senator from Delaware and Carter was president.

"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. 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," Donald Trump posted on his Truth Social account.

"Whenever I had a chance to spend time with President Carter, it was clear that he didn’t just profess these values. He embodied them. And in doing so, he taught all of us what it means to live a life of grace, dignity, justice, and service. In his Nobel acceptance speech, President Carter said, 'God gives us the capacity for choice. We can choose to alleviate suffering. We can choose to work together for peace.' He made that choice again and again over the course of his 100 years, and the world is better for it," Obama wrote in a statement.

Georgia politics also weighed in on Carter's passing. Gov. Brian Kemp, Senators Raphael Warnock and Jon Ossof, Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene and Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger mourned his departure on social media.

"As the only American president thus far to come from Georgia, he showed the world the impact of our state and its people have on the country. And as a son of Plains, he always valued Georgians and the virtues of our state, choosing to return to his rural home after his time in public office," Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp stated. 

Jason Carter, ex-state senator, 2014 gubernatorial candidate and the former president's grandson, merely posted the following song on his X account: "Last of my Kind," by Jason Isbell.

The most prominent reactions to the passing of Jimmy Carter