On the passing of former president Jimmy Carter

Antony J. Blinken, Secretary of State
Former president Barack Obama
President-elect Donald Trump
Former president George W. Bush
Former president Bill and secretary Hilary Clinton

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Antony J. Blinken, Secretary of State

Jimmy Carter was a United States president, a US Navy veteran, a Nobel Peace Prize Laureate, and a humanitarian who dedicated his life to promoting peace, democracy, and human rights.

Throughout decades of public service, president Carter embodied integrity, compassion, and a commitment to advancing the freedom, security, and welfare of others. He channeled that spirit in his foreign policy, from negotiating the return of the Panama Canal to its host nation, to developing arms control agreements with the Soviet Union. And he brought it to his every exchange and conversation, from heads of state to ordinary citizens.

He understood that the fates of Americans werebound up with those of people in other countries, so he was early to recognize that protecting our shared planet and promoting global public health were vital national security interests.

President Carter also showed us what can be achieved through tireless and principled diplomacy, mediating a landmark deal with Israel and Egypt that helped forge peace between two nations that had spent decades at war. His efforts are an important reminder of what’s possible, especially amidst renewed conflict and suffering in the region.

Even after he left office, president Carter never stopped pursuing peace and advancing human rights, in ways big and small, often with his wife and partner of 77 years, Rosalynn, who passed away last year. For decades, they worked side-by-side, whether they were picking up hammers to help build homes for families in need, or leading efforts through the Carter Center to eradicate disease, resolve armed conflict, monitor elections, and promote democracy.

A man of faith, president Carter once said that “our greatest blessings come when we are able to improve the lives of others.” By that measure and so many others, president Carter lived a blessed life.

Jimmy Carter Biography

Jimmy Carter served as the 39th president of the United States, from 1977 to 1981, and was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2002 for his humanitarian work around the world.

Barack Obama: On the passing of president Carter

For decades, you could walk into Maranatha Baptist Church in Plains, Georgia on some Sunday mornings and see hundreds of tourists from around the world crammed into the pews. And standing in front of them, asking with a wink if there were any visitors that morning, would be president Jimmy Carter -preparing to teach Sunday school, just like he had done for most of his adult life.

Some who came to hear him speak were undoubtedly there because of what president Carter accomplished in his four years in the White House – the Camp David Accords he brokered that reshaped the Middle East; the work he did to diversify the federal judiciary, including nominating a pioneering women’s rights activist and lawyer named Ruth Bader Ginsburg to the federal bench; the environmental reforms he put in place, becoming one of the first leaders in the world to recognize the problem of climate change.

Others were likely there because of what president Carter accomplished in the longest, and most impactful, post-presidency in American history – monitoring more than 100 elections around the world; helping virtually eliminate Guinea worm disease, an infection that had haunted Africa for centuries; becoming the only former president to earn a Nobel Peace Prize; and building or repairing thousands of homes in more than a dozen countries with his beloved Rosalynn as part of Habitat for Humanity.

But I’m willing to bet that many people in that church on Sunday morning were there, at least in part, because of something more fundamental: President Carter’s decency.

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.

Maranatha Baptist Church will be a little quieter on Sundays, but President Carter 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. Michelle and I send our thoughts and prayers to the Carter family, and everyone who loved and learned from this remarkable man.

Donald J. Trump @realDonaldTrump

I just heard of the news about the passing of president Jimmy Carter. Those of us who have been fortunate to have served as President understand this is a very exclusive club, and only we can relate to the enormous responsibility of leading the Greatest Nation in History.

“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.