By Axios | Created at 2024-09-29 15:19:13 | Updated at 2024-09-30 05:19:41
14 hours ago
President Biden applauded his "good friend," former President Jimmy Carter, in a message released Sunday — two days before the longest-living U.S. president will celebrate his 100th birthday.
The big picture: In 1976, then-Sen. Biden gave Carter his first endorsement from an elected official not from his home state of Georgia. In the decades since the two have maintained a close bond.
- In a message endorsing Biden's 2020 presidential campaign, Carter called the president his "first and most effective supporter in the Senate" and "my loyal and dedicated friend."
What he's saying: "Mr. President, you've always been a moral force for our nation and the world. I recognized that as a young senator," Biden said in a message first shared on CBS' "Sunday Morning," adding, "That's why I supported you so early."
- Biden noted that this will be Carter's first birthday since First Lady Rosalynn Carter died at 96 in November 2023.
He characterized Carter as "one of the most influential statesmen in our history," highlighting the former president's long history of humanitarian efforts after leaving the White House.
- "Even after you left office, the moral clarity you showed throughout your career showed through again in your commitment through the Carter Center and Habitat for Humanity – resolving conflicts, advancing democracy, preventing disease, and so much more," Biden said.
"Put simply, Mr. President, I admire you so darn much," he added.
- Biden concluded his message with a blessing and wrote, "You've been a good friend."
Zoom out: Carter, who will celebrate his centennial birthday on Tuesday, has been in hospice care for over a year.
- Jason Carter said at the Democratic National Convention that his 99-year-old grandfather "can't wait" to vote for Vice President Kamala Harris.
- The Atlanta-Journal Constitution reported last month that Carter told his son he was "only trying to make it to vote for Kamala Harris."
Go deeper: Carter's year in hospice sheds light on end-of-life care option
