Barack Obama Pays Tribute To Former President Jimmy Carter

Carter successfully brokered peace between Israel and Egypt with the Camp David Accords of 1978, ending a 30-year war between the countries. His administration faced the Soviet Union during the Cold War, including refusing participation in the 1980 Moscow Olympics over the Afghanistan invasion.

In the oval office, Former President George HW Bush, President-elect Barack Obama, President George W Bush, former Presidents Bill Clinton and Jimmy Carter, Washington, DC, January 7, 2009. Source: David Hume Kennerly / Getty

According to Hip-Hop Wired, despite an established reputation for strength and diplomacy, the Iranian hostage crisis was cited for tipping the scales in Ronald Reagan’s 1980 victory. The occupation of the U.S. embassy in Tehran lasted 444 days with 52 Americans held hostage.

Following an embattled single term, Carter dedicated himself to an even greater legacy outside of the Oval Office. The decorated humanitarian spent nearly 40 years working with Habitat for Humanity.

After battling several serious health issues like cancer, Carter recently said he hoped to live long enough to see Kamala Harris become President of the United States. His wife Rosalynn Carter preceded him in death at the age of 96 in 2023. He is survived by four children (Jack, Chip, Jeff, and Amy); 11 grandchildren, and 14 great-grandchildren.

Fellow U.S. Presidents Remember Jimmy Carter’s Life & Legacy

Throughout his 100 years, Carter touched so many lives, but few knew him like the leaders who followed in his footsteps to the White House. President Joe Biden issued a statement about the loss of “an extraordinary leader, statesman and humanitarian.”

“With his compassion and moral clarity, he worked to eradicate disease, forge peace, advance civil rights and human rights, promote free and fair elections, house the homeless, and always advocate for the least among us. He saved, lifted, and changed the lives of people all across the globe,” his statement said.

Former President Barack Obama also reflected on Carter’s life and legacy.

“Elected in the shadow of Watergate, Jimmy Carter promised voters that he would always tell the truth. And he did — advocating for the public good, consequences be damned. He believed some things were more important than reelection — things like integrity, respect, and compassion. Because Jimmy Carter believed, as deeply as he believed anything, that we are all created in God’s image.

“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.