President-elect Donald Trump shared a surprisingly sentimental tribute to former President Jimmy Carter after his passing Sunday at 100—just two months after mocking his predecessor at a campaign stop in Wisconsin.
Taking to Truth Social, Trump wrote: “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,” he continued.
“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.”
President Jimmy Carter addressing a town meeting. / Bettmann / Contributor / Getty Images
He later added in a second post: ”President Jimmy Carter is dead at 100 years of age. While I strongly disagreed with him philosophically and politically, I also realized that he truly loved and respected our Country, and all it stands for.”
“He worked hard to make America a better place, and for that I give him my highest respect,” Trump added. ”He was a truly good man and, of course, will be greatly missed. He was also very consequential, far more than most Presidents, after he left the Oval Office. Warmest condolences from Melania and I to his wonderful family!”
Carter’s son, Chip, confirmed to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution that his father died in his home in Plains, Georgia at 3:45 p.m. after having entered hospice care in February 2023.
President Joe Biden also penned a tribute to Carter Sunday and posted an old photograph of the two on X.
“Over six decades, Jill and I had the honor of calling Jimmy Carter a dear friend,” Biden shared. “But, what’s extraordinary about Jimmy Carter, though, is that millions of people throughout America and the world who never met him thought of him as a dear friend as well.”
The president went on to describe Carter as a “man of great character and courage, hope and optimism” and sent his condolences to Carter’s loved ones.
Unlike Biden, Trump’s stance on Carter has notoriously been fickle, with the president-elect mocking him as recently as two months ago on his 100th birthday in October while campaigning in Waunakee, Wisconsin.
At the time, Trump called Biden the “worst” president in U.S. history and said that “Jimmy Carter is the happiest man because Jimmy Carter is considered a brilliant president in comparison.”
The president-elect also clapped back at Carter in 2019 after the commander-in-chief claimed that Russian interference won Trump the presidency in 2016 during a Carter Center event in Leesburg, Virginia.
“There’s no doubt that the Russians did interfere in the election,” Carter said at the time. “And I think the interference, although not yet quantified, if fully investigated would show that Trump didn’t actually win the election in 2016. He lost the election, and he was put into office because the Russians interfered on his behalf.”
In response, Trump called Carter a “nice man” but a “terrible president.”
“He’s been trashed within his own party,” Trump said at a June 2019 news conference after wrapping the G-20 summit in Japan. “He’s been trashed,” he continued before denying Carter’s claims and labeling him as the “forgotten president” per Politico.
Carter’s critique on Trump continued throughout his first reelection campaign, where he said that if Trump were to be reelected for a second term it would be a “disaster.”
“I think it will be a disaster to have four more years of Trump,” Carter said during a town hall event at the Carter Center in Atlanta on Sept. 17, 2019. “You know, if I were just 80 years old, if I were 15 years younger, I don’t believe I could undertake the duties that I experienced when I was President,” he continued while stating his worries about Trump’s age.
From the Archives: Read the Daily Beast’s Brilliant Jimmy Carter Stories
Although the pair have shared public back-and-forths, their relationship wasn’t always necessarily sour and even saw them sharing a civil moment during a pivotal 2019 phone call. In April that year, Trump called the late president for the first time to discuss U.S. relations with China after receiving a letter from Carter with advice on the matter.
“President Jimmy Carter wrote President Trump a beautiful letter about the current negotiations with China,” a statement from the White House confirmed at the time. “They had a very good telephone conversation about President Trump’s stance on trade with China and numerous other topics.”
Melania Trump also attended the tribute service for Carter’s wife, Rosalynn, in Georgia after her passing in 2023, joining other former first ladies Michelle Obama, Laura Bush, and Hillary Clinton.
Republican presidential nominee, former U.S. President Donald Trump looks on during a roundtable with faith leaders at Christ Chapel on October 23, 2024 in Zebulon, Georgia. / Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images
Before his death on Sunday, Carter made his support for Trump’s 2024 opponent, Vice President Kamala Harris, abundantly clear, repeatedly reiterating that he intended to vote for her throughout her campaign.
“He’s plugged in,” Chip told The Associated Press in October. “I asked him two months ago if he was trying to live to be 100, and he said, ‘No, I’m trying to live to vote for Kamala Harris.’”
Thanks to Carter’s passing, American flags will notably be at half-staff during Trump’s inauguration day later this month—as the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs ensures that the practice be upheld for 30 days after the death of the president or a former president.
