Former President Jimmy Carter died on Sunday. Reactions began coming in shortly after.
Carter, who turned 100 earlier this year, died peacefully in Plains, Ga., according to the Carter Center.
President Biden and first lady Jill Biden released a statement, mourning Carter’s death and highlighting his lifetime of service as an “extraordinary leader, statesman and humanitarian.”
“Over six decades, we had the honor of calling Jimmy Carter a dear friend. 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 Bidens’ statement said.
Others paying tribute to Carter include President-elect Trump and his running mate Senator JD Vance (R-Ohio), the remaining surviving former presidents, and leaders from both sides of the aisle.
Meanwhile, President-elect Trump’s administration has promised a fresh approach to internet bans, government spending, border security, and immigration policies, warranting each topic to be a top spot on the Republican list of priorities for the 119th Congress. These topics were among the focus of Sunday’s talk shows.
In an interview aired Sunday, former House Speaker Newt Gingrich (R-Ga.) praised House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) for the way he’s handled his role as top Republican in the House.
Sen. Andy Kim (D-N.J.) also signaled an openness to supporting Rep. Elise Stefanik (R-N.Y.) and Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) for their respective posts in the forthcoming Trump administration but said he has concerns about Kash Patel and Pete Hegseth.
Read the full Sunday shows lineup here.
Biden says Carter is an example of ‘simple decency’
President Biden said former President Jimmy Carter, who died Sunday, “lived a life measured not by words but by deeds.”
In a Sunday night speech from the U.S. Virgin Islands, Biden added that Carter was “a man not only of our time but for all time.”
“And his compassion and moral clarity lifted people up and changed lives and saved lives all over the globe,” Biden said. “Jimmy carter is an example of simple decency.”
How long will flags fly at half-staff for Jimmy Carter?
To pay tribute to Carter, and in accordance with federal law, the flag was lowered to fly at half-staff Sunday. Flags on federal buildings and grounds in the U.S. and its territories, as well as all naval vessels, will also fly at half-staff. You will likely also see your governor issue a proclamation ordering flags to fly at half-staff at state government facilities.
According to a proclamation signed by then-President Dwight D. Eisenhower in 1954, because Carter is a former president, flags are to remain at half-staff for 30 days from the day of Carter’s death.
President Biden to speak at 7p.m. ET
President Biden will speak shortly on the death of former President Jimmy Carter.
Biden is currently in the U.S. Virgin Islands for the holidays. He is scheduled to speak at 7 p.m. ET.
King Charles remembers Carter’s 1977 visit to UK in condolence message
King Charles remembered former President Carter’s visit to the United Kingdom in 1977 in his condolence message.
In a statement on X, he added that the former president was a “committed public servant” and “devoted his life to promoting peace and human rights”.
Carter was invited to stay at Buckingham Palace in May 1977.
Harris celebrates Carter’s ‘decency and compassion’
Vice President Kamala Harris celebrated Carter’s life of service and said he promoted “decency and compassion.”
“I had the privilege of knowing President Carter for years,” Harris said in a statement. “I will always remember his kindness, wisdom and profound grace.”
Harris said she and second gentleman Doug Emhoff send love and prayers to the Carter family. The world is a better place because of Carter, she said.
“His life and legacy continue to inspire me — and will inspire generations to come,” Harris said.
Trump blasts GOP, McCarthy over debt ceiling
President-elect Trump on Sunday harshly criticized the House GOP, and former Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.), for voting to raise the debt ceiling in 2023 through Jan. 1, 2025.
Trump in a post on Truth Social called McCarthy “a good man and a friend of mine,” but said it would go down as “one of the dumbest political decisions made in years.”
Bidens remember ‘dear friend’ Jimmy Carter as ‘man of great character and courage’
President Biden and first lady Jill Biden remembered former President Carter, who died on Sunday, as a “dear friend” who “saved, lifted, and changed the lives of people all across the globe.”
“Over six decades, we had the honor of calling Jimmy Carter a dear friend. 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,” President Biden said in a statement on Sunday afternoon.
Trudeau hopes Carter’s ‘selfless service continue to inspire us all for years to come’
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said in a statement that former President Carter’s legacy is one of “compassion, kindness, empathy, and hard work.”
He added that he hopes his “selfless service continue to inspire us all for years to come.”
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer on Carter’s death
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer issued a statement on the death of former President Carter paying tribute to his “decades of selfless public service.”
He also highlighted his “historic” Camp David Accords between Israel and Egypt, which is one of Carter’s defining moments of his presidency.
In 1978, Carter invited Israeli Prime Minister Menachem Begin and Egyptian President Anwar Sadat to Camp David in Maryland to negotiate a peace agreement. After nearly two weeks of intense negotiations, which very nearly failed multiple times, the three men signed the Camp David Accords.
President-elect Trump pays tribute to Jimmy Carter
President-elect Trump said former President Carter, who died on Sunday, did “everything in his power to improve the lives of all Americans.”
“I just heard of the news about the passing of President Jimmy Carter,” Trump said in a Sunday afternoon Truth Social post. “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.”
Political world offers condolences for Jimmy Carter
Members of the political world offered condolences and warm wishes for the family of former President Jimmy Carter, who died Sunday afternoon. They honored Carter’s decades of achievement and service to the country.
Carter, who turned 100 earlier this year, died peacefully in Palins, Ga., according to the Carter Center.
READ: Carter Center releases full statement on Jimmy Carter’s death
Former President Carter died Sunday afternoon at the age of 100.
In Photos: Jimmy Carter
Former President Carter died Sunday, according to the Carter Center. Here’s a look at his life and times in photos.
He had turned 100 in October, making him the longest-lived president in the nation’s history. Carter was the 39th president of the U.S.
Photos: Jimmy Carter, from the White House to building houses
Jimmy Carter, the 39th president of the United States, died Sunday after he began receiving home hospice care in February 2023. He was 100 years old.
Carter, the longest-living American president, had undergone a series of short hospital stays in the months leading up to hospice care, The Carter Center previously confirmed. He had “decided to spend his remaining time at home with his family and receive hospice care instead of additional medical intervention.”
How Jimmy Carter’s marriage to Rosalynn Carter helped shape his legacy
Former President Carter’s marriage to first lady Rosalynn Carter played a defining role in his life, spanning 77 years and making it the longest presidential marriage in U.S. history. Jimmy Carter died on Sunday, according to the Carter Center.
Throughout his four-year presidency, the pair presented themselves as a team, with Rosalynn serving as one of the former president’s closest advisers and even being a presence in Cabinet meetings.
Carter to be honored with events in Georgia, Washington
Former President Carter will be honored with public observances in both Georgia and Washington, D.C., in the coming days, following his death on Sunday.
He will be interred in Plains, Ga., according to the Carter Center.
Five defining moments of Jimmy Carter’s presidency
Former President Carter’s post-presidential life lasted decades, putting his career in the White House in a deep rearview mirror in many ways. Carter died Sunday, according to the Carter Center.
It was a memorable four-year term, and one that has some parallels to today’s battles over inflation, and how to deal with an unstable Iran and Middle East.
Former President Jimmy Carter dies at 100
Former President Carter, the unassuming Georgia peanut farmer whose improbable political rise took him to the governor’s mansion before the White House, died peacefully on Sunday in Plains, Ga., according to the Carter Center.
He had turned 100 in October, making him the longest-lived president in the nation’s history.
Lawler: H-1B visa program ‘has obviously been beneficial to our economy’
Rep. Mike Lawler (R-N.Y.) said on Sunday that the H-1B visa program benefits the economy, throwing his weight behind President-elect Trump and Elon Musk’s rift against some of their base supporters.
In an interview on ABC News’s “This Week,” Lawler said immigration is necessary and supports the merit-based visa program for highly skilled non-immigrant workers.
“Here’s a reality that we have to deal with. By the end of the century, we’re projected to have a population decline. Our birth rate in the last 15 years has dropped from two children per woman to 1.66 per woman. So, the reality is we have a long-term population decline. We have a workforce shortage of doctors, nurses, engineers, home health aides, ad workers, construction workers, hospitality workers.
“We need immigration. We need an immigration system that works, that is legal, and I fundamentally believe that you need to have a system that is focused on our economic needs as a country and a more merit-based immigration system than anything else.
Cardin on Trump’s Panama comments
Sen. Ben Cardin (D-Md.), outgoing chair of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, said on Sunday that President-elect Trump’s remarks about Panama have larger consequences on America’s credibility abroad.
In an interview on ABC News’s “This Week,” Cardin expressed concerns about Trump’s suggestion that the Panama Canal be returned to U.S. control.
“It’s a serious statement because it affects America’s credibility globally. Our allies don’t know whether we are reliable partners or not. The Panama Canal obligations were established by a treaty ratified by Congress, by this U.S. Senate,” Cardin said about Trump’s remarks.
Schmitt H-1B program: ‘American workers have been left behind by this economy’
Republican Sen. Eric Schmitt (Mo.) said that U.S. workers “have been left behind by this economy” during a discussion on “Fox News Sunday” about the H-1B work visa, a key program to attract international talent that’s been criticized as too complicated and susceptible to abuse.
During an interview with host Shannon Bream, Schmitt was asked about the recent debate about the H-1B work visa on social platform X, which has intensified.
“I think this is an important thoughtful debate that’s happening, but the context that we need to, I think, keep in mind here is that the American workers have been left behind by this economy,” he responded.
Sununu: Trump hasn’t permanently changed the GOP
New Hampshire Gov. Chris Sununu, a moderate Republican, said on Sunday that he does not think President-elect Trump has permanently changed the GOP.
“We’ve always been a spectrum in the party. We’ve had moderates, we’ve had fiscal conservatives and social moderates and social conservatives. It’s a huge spectrum, and it’s a big tent, and it will be, it will continue to be,” Sununu said on CNN’s “State of the Union,” in an interview conducted less than two weeks before he leaves office.
Sununu on Elon Musk’s government contracts: ‘Everyone has a conflict of interest’
Outgoing New Hampshire Gov. Chris Sununu (R) dismissed concerns that Elon Musk has billions of dollars tied up in government contracts, calling him an “outsider” who could finally rein in government spending in Washington.
“As much as people say, ‘Well, Elon is a billionaire outsider.’ First, I don’t mind that they’re billionaires. I like people that are successful… I like that it’s an outsider and an engineer and not a wallet politician,” Sununu said in an interview on CNN’s “State of the Union.”
CNN’s Dana Bash pushed back, saying he’s “not that much of an outsider” and pointed to criticism of Musk’s government contracts: “You don’t see a conflict of interest here?”
“Everyone has a conflict of interest,” Sununu said.
“But that’s, like, a pretty big one,” she responded.
“The guy’s worth 450 billion, as of, you know, today in this month, so I don’t think he’s doing it for the money. He’s doing it for the bigger project and the bigger vision of America,” he said. “He doesn’t need the dollars.
He really doesn’t. So it’s not about, ‘Oh, if I get involved in this, I’ll get another little contract here or there.’ That’s, that’s nothing to him.”
“So I like the fact that he’s, in a way, he’s so rich, he’s so removed from the potential financial influence of it,” he added.
Lawler backs Johnson for House Speaker
Rep. Mike Lawler (R-N.Y.) said Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) should be re-elected as House Speaker, noting the Louisiana Republican “inherited a disaster.”
During an appearance on ABC’s “This Week,” host Jonathan Karl asked Lawler whether Johnson would and should be reelected as Speaker.
“Yes, and yes,” he replied. “The fact is that Mike Johnson inherited a disaster when Matt Gaetz and several of my colleagues teamed up with 208 Democrats to remove Kevin McCarthy, which will go down as the single stupidest thing I’ve ever seen in politics.”
Kim has ‘real concerns’ about Patel, Hegseth
Sen. Andy Kim (D-N.J.) on Sunday signaled an openness to supporting Rep. Elise Stefanik (R-N.Y.) and Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) for their respective posts in the forthcoming Trump administration but said he has concerns about some of President-elect Trump’s other choices.
In an interview on CNN’s “State of the Union,” anchor Dana Bash asked Kim whether he could imagine voting for Kash Patel or Pete Hegseth, whom Trump selected to serve as head of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and secretary of Defense, respectively.
Kim said that his concerns lie with Kash Patel and Pete Hegseth. He noted specifically his concerns about Patel’s past comments about dismantling the “deep state” and Hegseth’s remarks against women serving in the military, which he has since walked back.
Kim Jong Un vows to launch ‘toughest’ anti-US policy
Kim Jong Un vowed to launch a tough anti-U.S. strategy in the coming few years, as President-elect Trump prepares to enter his second term in office.
During a five-day Workers’ Party meeting this past week, Kim said North Korea would launch “the toughest anti-U.S. counteraction” in the coming years “for its long-term national interests and security.”
Kim described the U.S. as “the most reactionary state that regards anti-communism as its invariable state policy” and warned that the alliance between the U.S., South Korea and Japan “has expanded into a nuclear military bloc for aggression.”
Gingrich backs Johnson over ‘destructive’ House Republicans
Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich (R-Ga.) praised House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) for the way he’s handled his role as top Republican in the House, which just narrowly averted a government shutdown following a days-long rollercoaster.
“Mike Johnson, Speaker of the House, is doing an extraordinary job. I tell everybody, I was a pretty effective speaker. I could never do his job. He has no margins. Any two or three members can rebel at any moment,” Gingrich told John Catsimatidis on his show “Cats Roundtable” on WABC 770 AM.