Biden celebrates Jimmy Carter's 100th birthday: “I admire you so much”

Washington
CNN
—

President Joe Biden gave former President Jimmy Carter a 100th birthday greeting, honoring a predecessor he said he admired “so damn much.”

Biden called the former president a “moral force for our nation and the world” and, in an on-camera birthday greeting, called Carter “a voice of courage, conviction, compassion and, above all, a beloved friend.” CBS News.

Carter, who has been receiving hospice care since February 2023, is the oldest president in American history. The Bidens remain in close contact with the Carter family.

Carter's grandson, Jason Carter, said at the Democratic National Convention in August that his PawPaw would “hang in there” for the November election.

“He’s hopeful. And although his body may be weak tonight, his spirit is as strong as ever. “My grandfather can’t wait to vote for Kamala Harris,” he said.

Carter, a Democrat, oversaw major milestones at home and abroad, including the Camp David Accords, a peace agreement between Egypt and Israel, and the creation of the Department of Energy, the Department of Education and the Federal Emergency Management Agency.

He advocated for regulations on car emissions and mandatory seat belts and airbags for vehicles, a very unpopular policy at the time. Carter formally established diplomatic relations with China, declared Martin Luther King Jr. Day a federal holiday, and led significant conservation efforts in Alaska.

Carter left office as a one-term president in 1981 amid criticism of his handling of the Iran hostage crisis.

Perhaps it is his post-presidency actions that have shaped Carter's legacy of service to others, including intensive public health efforts and promoting democracy abroad.

“Even after you left office, the moral clarity you demonstrated throughout your career was evident in your commitment to the Carter Center and Habitat for Humanity – resolving conflict, promoting democracy, preventing disease and much more.” Biden said during the birthday message, filmed in front of Carter's presidential portrait on the State Floor.

“To put it simply, Mr. President, I admire you so much,” he added.

Biden was one of the first senators to support Carter's 1976 presidential campaign.

“Being 'right' on these issues is not enough in 1976. Our nation and our party need a president who is not only right but has demonstrated the ability to achieve our shared goals,” Biden and Senator Birch Bayh wrote in a joint letter at the time.

Biden and First Lady Dr. Jill Biden traveled to Plains, Georgia to visit the Carters on the 100th day of Biden's presidency in 2021.

“We sat there and talked about the old times,” Biden told reporters after the visit, calling the Carters “old friends.”