Jimmy Carter death: Biden orders official state funeral to honor him

WASHINGTON D.C., DC — Jimmy Carter, the longest-lived American president died Sunday – more than a year after entering hospice care – at his home in the small town of Plains, Georgia, where he and his wife, Rosalynn, who died at 96 in November 2023, spent most of their lives.

President Joe Biden gave an address Sunday evening from a hotel in the U.S. Virgin Islands where he’s on a holiday vacation with his family.

“Millions of people all over the world feel like they’ve lost a friend as well, even without meeting him,” said Biden. “(He was) someone who embodied the most human values we can never let slip away… He really believed everyone deserved a shot.” 

The president and First Lady Jill Biden are among the many Americans mourning the loss Sunday, also putting out a joint statement honoring the late Carters. 

“Today, America and the world lost an extraordinary leader, statesman and humanitarian,” they said in a statement. “He saved, lifted, and changed the lives of people all across the globe. He was a man of great character and courage, hope and optimism. We will always cherish seeing him and Rosalynn together.”

Their statement continued to recognize the work Carter did for the country and encouraged “young people” in the country to study Carter and his life if they’re in “search of what it means to live a life of purpose and meaning.”

President Biden has scheduled a state funeral in Washington for Carter on Jan. 9, according to the Associated Press.

Biden also declared Jan. 9 as a National Day of Mourning across the U.S., and ordered U.S. flags to fly at half-staff for 30 days from Sunday.

Businessman, Navy officer, evangelist, politician, negotiator, author, woodworker, citizen of the world — Carter forged a path that still challenges political assumptions and stands out among the 45 men who reached the nation’s highest office. 

The 39th president leveraged his ambition with a keen intellect, deep religious faith and prodigious work ethic, conducting diplomatic missions into his 80s and building houses for the poor well into his 90s. 

“My father was a hero, not only to me but to everyone who believes in peace, human rights and unselfish love,” said Chip Carter, the former president’s son, in a statement. “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 honoring his memory by continuing to live these shared beliefs.”

President Carter is survived by his children — Jack, Chip, Jeff, and Amy; 11 grandchildren; and 14 great-grandchildren. He was preceded in death by his beloved wife, Rosalynn, and one grandchild, according to the Carter Center.

“We will miss them both dearly, but take solace knowing they are reunited once again and will remain forever in our hearts,” said Jill and Joe Biden. “To the entire Carter family, we send our gratitude for sharing them with America and the world.”

President-elect Donald Trump took to his social media website Truth Social to offer the family his condolences and remember Carter. 

“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,” he said. “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.”

In a statement issued Sunday, former President Barack Obama and first lady Michelle Obama said Carter’s beloved Maranatha Baptist Church “will be a little quieter on Sunday’s” but added that the late former president “will never be far away — buried alongside Rosalynn next to a willow tree down the road, his memory calling all of us to heed our better angels.”

Noting the “hundreds of tourists from around the world crammed into the pews” to see the former president teach Sunday school, as he did “for most of his adult life,” the Obamas listed Carter’s accomplishments as president.

But they made special note of the Sunday school lessons, saying they were catalysts for people making a pilgrimage to the church. “Many people in that church on Sunday morning were there, at least in part, because of something more fundamental: President Carter’s decency.”

Former Vice President Al 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.”

Carter, who left the White House in 1981 after a landslide defeat to Ronald Reagan. concentrated on conflict resolution, defending democracy and fighting disease in the developing world. Gore, who lost the 2000 presidential election to George W. Bush, remains a leading advocate for action to fight climate change. Both won Nobel Peace Prizes.

Gore said it is a testament to his “unyielding determination to help build a more just and peaceful world” that Carter is often “remembered equally for the work he did as President as he is for his leadership over the 42 years after he left office.”

During Gore’s time in the White House, President Bill Clinton had an uneasy relationship with Carter. 

Former President Bill Clinton and his wife former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, remember Carter as a man who lived to serve others.

“Hillary and I mourn the passing of President Jimmy Carter and give thanks for his long, good life. Guided by his faith, President Carter lived to serve others — until the very end,” they said in a statement. 

The statement recalled Carter’s many achievements and priorities, including efforts “to protect our natural resources in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, make energy conservation a national priority, return the Panama Canal to Panama, and secure peace between Egypt and Israel at Camp David.”

After he left office, the Clinton statement said, Carter continued efforts in “supporting honest elections, advancing peace, combating disease, and promoting democracy; to his and Rosalynn’s devotion and hard work at Habitat for Humanity — he worked tirelessly for a better, fairer world,” the statement said.