Getty ImagesJoe Biden and Donald Trump paid tribute to former US President and Nobel Peace Prize winner Jimmy Carter, who died at the age of 100.
Carter, who lived longer than any president in history, died Sunday afternoon at his home in Plains, Georgia.
Biden described him as “a man of principle, faith and humility,” while Trump said all Americans owed Carter “a debt of gratitude.”
Carter rose from peanut farmer to president in 1977 before being forced out of the White House after just one four-year term when Ronald Reagan swept to victory in the next election.
After leaving the White House with low approval ratings, his reputation was restored through humanitarian work that earned him the Nobel Peace Prize.
“Today, America and the world lost an extraordinary leader, statesman and humanitarian,” President Biden and First Lady Jill Biden said in a statement.
“For all young people in this nation and for anyone seeking what it means to live a life of purpose and meaning — the good life — study Jimmy Carter, a man of principle, faith and humility,” they added.
“He showed that we are a great nation because we are a good people – dignified and honorable, brave and compassionate, humble and strong.
President-elect Trump posted 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.”
World leaders also paid tribute to Carter.
King Charles III said that “his dedication and humility served as an inspiration to many and I remember with great affection his visit to the United Kingdom in 1977.”
UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer said Carter was “motivated by his strong faith and values” and that he had “redefined the post-presidency office with a remarkable commitment to social justice and human rights at home and abroad”.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said Carter “was a leader who served at a time when Ukraine was not yet independent, but his heart stands firmly with us in our ongoing fight for freedom.”
French President Emmanuel Macron said he was “a staunch defender of the rights of the most vulnerable and tirelessly fought for peace”.
Before becoming president in 1977, Carter, a Democrat, was governor of Georgia, a lieutenant in the US Navy and a farmer.
Carter's presidency will be remembered for his struggles to deal with acute economic problems and several foreign policy challenges, including the Iran hostage crisis that ended with the deaths of eight Americans.
However, there was a notable foreign policy triumph in the Middle East when he helped broker an agreement between Egypt and Israel signed at Camp David in the US in 1978.
But that seemed a distant memory two years later, when voters overwhelmingly elected Republican Ronald Reagan, who had portrayed the president as a weak leader unable to deal with inflation and interest rates at near-record highs.
Carter lost the 1980 election. with a landslide victory, winning only six US states plus Washington.
After leaving the White House, he became the first and only president to return full-time to the house he lived in before politics, a modest two-bedroom ranch-style home.
He chose not to pursue the lucrative after-dinner speeches and publishing deals that await most former presidents, told the Washington Post in 2018that he never wanted to be rich.
Instead, he spent his remaining years trying to tackle the global problems of inequality and disease.
He founded the Carter Center in 1982 to pursue his vision of global diplomacy, and was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2002. for his efforts with the foundation to promote human rights around the world.
He also partnered with Nelson Mandela to found The Elders, a group of world leaders committed to working for peace and human rights.
Getty ImagesCarter is survived by his four children, 11 grandchildren and 14 great-grandchildren.
His wife, Rosalyn, to whom he was married for 77 years, died in November 2023.
Announcing his death, Carter's son Chip said his father was “a hero not only to me, but to everyone who believes in peace, human rights and selfless love”.
“My brothers, my sister and I shared it with the rest of the world through these shared beliefs. The world is our family because of the way it brought people together.”
After 2018 and the death of George H. U. Bush, Carter was the oldest surviving US president.
Last year, Carter stopped medical treatment for an undisclosed illness and instead began receiving hospice care at home. He suffered from health problems, including melanoma that spread to his liver and brain.
Another leading tribute came from Barack Obama, who reflected on his time with Carter, saying “he taught us all what it means to live a life of grace, dignity, justice and service.”
Maranatha Baptist Church in Plains, where Carter taught Sunday school into his 90s, “will be a little quieter on Sundays,” Obama said.
“But President Carter will never be far away – buried next to Rosalyn by the willow tree down the road, his memory calls us all to heed our better angels.”
Former US President Bill Clinton and his wife, former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, have also spoken about Carter's faith.
“President Carter lived to serve others – until the very end,” they said in a statement.