Closing summary
Tributes continue to pour in after the death of America’s longest-lived president, Jimmy Carter, on Sunday. Here’s a recap of the latest developments:
The White House ordered a state funeral for 9 January – already declared a national day of mourning – and that American flags will fly at half-staff for 30 days. US stock exchanges will close on Thursday 9 January in observation of a national day of mourning.
The Carter family has accepted an invitation by Congress for him to lie in state in the US Capitol in Washington DC. He will be laid to rest in his home town of Plains, Georgia, next to his wife, Rosalynn, who passed away in 2023.
Joe Biden said Donald Trump should learn “decency” from Carter’s legacy in remarks to reporters during which he described Carter as a humanitarian, a personal friend and a “remarkable leader”.
Leaders from around the world remembered Carter, who as president brokered peace between Israel and Egypt and later received the Nobel peace prize for his humanitarian work. The UN security council held a minute’s silence on Monday.
Pope Francis praised Carter’s “firm commitment, motivated by deep Christian faith, to the cause of reconciliation and peace between peoples, the defense of human rights and the welfare of the poor and those in need”.
The UN secretary general, António Guterres, said Carter “played a key role in conflict mediation, election monitoring, the promotion of democracy, and disease prevention and eradication”.
The Egyptian president, Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, said Carter’s “significant role in achieving the peace agreement between Egypt and Israel will remain etched in the annals of history, and his humanitarian work exemplifies a lofty standard of love, peace, and brotherhood”.
Israel’s prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, said Carter will be remembered for his role in “forging the first Arab-Israeli peace treaty … a peace treaty that has held for nearly half a century and offers hope for future generations”.
The UK prime minister, Keir Starmer, said Carter “redefined the post-presidency with a remarkable commitment to social justice and human rights at home and abroad”, and that he would be remembered for “decades of selfless public service”.
King Charles III said Carter was “a committed public servant, and devoted his life to promoting peace and human rights”.
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The Secret Service has offered its condolences on the death of Carter, saying it was “an honor to protect him and his family”.
A statement posted to X reads:
His commitment to peace, human rights and service touched countless lives, leaving a legacy of integrity and grace.
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The UN security council held a minute’s silence on Monday in honor of Jimmy Carter.
Before rising to observe the silence, the deputy US ambassador to the UN, Dorothy Camille Shea, read a statement on behalf of the council.
Biden orders closure of US government agencies on 9 January
Joe Biden has issued an executive order directing the closure of US government agencies and executive departments for 9 January to show respect for Jimmy Carter.
The White House has posted Biden’s full executive order providing for the closure of all executive departments and agencies of the federal government on 9 January, which has been marked a national day of mourning in honor of Carter.
Carter to lie in state in US Capitol
The Carter family has accepted an invitation by Congress for Jimmy Carter to lie in state in the US Capitol in Washington DC, the Carter Center has announced.
Congress extended the invitation to the late former president’s family “in recognition of his long and distinguished service to the nation”, it said in a statement posted to X.
The invitation was “respectfully and gratefully accepted”, it said, adding:
This will allow an opportunity for the American people to pay their respects to President Carter.
Carter will be honored with a state funeral before being laid to rest in his home town of Plains, Georgia, next to his wife, Rosalynn, beside a willow tree.
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After his death was announced on Sunday, musicians remembered Jimmy Carter in posts on social media.
“President Jimmy Carter was a truly extraordinary man and a rare politician who always stood up and spoke out for idealism, compassion and human rights and particularly for the rights of women and those who suffered real oppression,” wrote Peter Gabriel, a longtime friend to Carter.
“Rest easy, Mr. President. I’m sad for us, and happy for you. Your and Mrs. Rosalynn’s legacy of love will live forever,” wrote the country singer Trisha Yearwood. Yearwood and her husband, fellow country singer Garth Brooks, helped lead the 2024 Jimmy & Rosalynn Carter Work Project with Habitat for Humanity.
In a statement, the Academy of Country Music (ACM) quoted Carter as having said: “Country music is heard everywhere. It is the deepest expression of all that is uniquely American.” He had written those sentiments in regards to the 15th annual ACM awards in 1980.
Heart’s vocalist Nancy Wilson called Carter “an incredible bridge between policy and our humanity”. And the actor Jamie Lee Curtis wrote a brief tribute on Instagram that said: “Thank you for teaching us all how to be humans Mr. President.”
The rapper Killer Mike, who was born in Carter’s home state of Georgia, posted to X: “I am honored to say I have known a ‘Good Man’ who truly made a difference in a wicked world.”
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Jimmy Carter will likely be remembered for his contributions to the arts – beyond being a three-time Grammy winner – more than any other US president, and one who is nominated again in 2025 for an audiobook, Last Sundays in Plains: A Centennial Celebration.
Carter was well known for his association with musicians, particularly the Allman Brothers Band, the Marshall Tucker Band, Charlie Daniels, and Willie Nelson, who later confirmed he had smoked marijuana on the roof of the White House with the late former president’s son, Chip Carter.
Jimmy Carter won an endorsement from the Allman Brothers in 1975, three months before the Iowa caucuses. His 1976 presidential run, he later said, was helped by the band, which raised $64,000 for his indebted campaign, allowing Carter to double that with matching government funds.
“Gregg Allman and the Allman Brothers just about put me in the White House,” Carter said in 2015.
Flags are flying at half staff on federal buildings and grounds across the country in tribute to Jimmy Carter.
According to the flag code, the US flag should be flown at half-mast for the next 30 days at “all federal buildings, grounds, and naval vessels” across the country and its territories in Carter’s memory.
Joe Biden has also established 9 January as a national day of mourning.
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Jason Carter, grandson of Jimmy Carter, has posted a moving cartoon on X depicting the late former president reuniting with his wife, Rosalynn, who passed away in 2023.
Wall Street to close to honor Carter
US stock exchanges will close on Thursday 9 January in observation of a national day of mourning in honor of Jimmy Carter.
The New York Stock Exchange and the Nasdaq announced the closures on Monday, Reuters reported, in a customary gesture to honor deceased US presidents.
The Securities Industry and Financial Markets Association has recommended an early close on 9 January for the US bond market at 2pm ET.
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Israel’s prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Jimmy Carter will be remembered for brokering peace between Israel and Egypt which has offered “hope for future generations”.
A statement posted by the Israeli leader’s office on X reads:
We will always remember President Carter’s role in forging the first Arab-Israeli peace treaty signed by Prime Minister Menachem Begin of Israel and President Anwar Sadat of Egypt, a peace treaty that has held for nearly half a century and offers hope for future generations.
In May 1989, the former US president Jimmy Carter walked into the lobby of a hotel in Panama and made it known he was determined to be heard in spite of attempts by the country’s military ruler, Gen Manuel Noriega, to shut him up.
Carter was still widely held in contempt in his own country, where his reputation as a one-term president was crucified in the late 70s by interminable gas lines, Iran’s taunting seizure of American hostages and a general perception that he lacked the mettle to lead the free world.
In time, he won renewed respect through the myriad works of his Carter Center and its considerable efforts to eradicate diseases, mediate conflicts and press brutal regimes to reform.
Driven by a deep religious faith and missionary zeal, which others could find grating, he set about doing what he could not as president – changing the world. Part of that was to establish his centre as a credible judge of the fairness of elections as authoritarian regimes crumbled with the end of the cold war.
Panama was his first.
Read the full story: From Panama to Palestine, Jimmy Carter refused to let his moral voice be silenced
The Republican governor of Texas, Greg Abbott, mistakenly offered his condolences to Jimmy Carter’s dead wife shortly after the Democratic former president died on Sunday.
Abbott’s statement sent “prayers and deepest condolences” to former first lady Rosalynn Carter and the rest of her family shortly after her husband’s death at the age of 100, as the Dallas news station WFAA reported. But Rosalynn Carter had died more than a year earlier – on 19 November 2023, at age 96.
The Democratic party of Collins county, Texas, seized on the blunder and wrote on X: “Did anyone in the governor’s office proof the condolence note?”
A couple of hours passed before Abbott’s office distributed an amended statement about Jimmy Carter’s death that removed the reference to his late wife of 77 years, as the Houston Press noted.
The revised statement read: “Cecilia and I send our prayers and deepest condolences to the entire family.”
Spain’s prime minister, Pedro Sánchez, joined foreign leaders in paying tribute to Jimmy Carter on Monday, hailing the former US president’s “defence of democracies and his dedication to peace”.
Carter “was one of the leaders most committed to justice and human rights and will always be remembered for his defence of democracies and his dedication to peace”, Sánchez wrote in a post on X.
Interim summary
Hello readers, thank you for following all the news developments and responses with us as they come in, the day after the death of America’s longest-lived president, Jimmy Carter. We’ll keep you abreast of reactions and analysis, both historical and contemporary, as the US loses a figure whose presidency was short but legacy is long and very relevant right up to today – and beyond.
Here’s where the day stands so far:
The US government has ordered, by tradition, that American flags will fly at half-staff, or half-mast, on all federal buildings, grounds and naval vessels across the country and overseas territories for 30 days, as a mark of respect upon the death of Carter. This means flags will not be flying at their customary position atop the flagpole when Donald Trump is inaugurated on January 20, taking over the White House for the Republicans from Democrat Joe Biden.
Pope Francis has said he is saddened to learn of former US president Jimmy Carter’s death and offered “heartfelt condolences” and prayers to all those mourning his passing. He praised Carter’s commitment “to the cause of reconciliation and peace between peoples, the defense of human rights and the welfare of the poor and those in need”.
Biden has given a short public address paying tribute to Carter, with both official praise and personal anecdote. In the video, the US president said: “It’s a sad day but it brings back an incredible amount of good memories. Today, America – and the world, in my view – lost a remarkable leader. He was a statesman and a humanitarian and Jill [first lady Jill Biden] and I have lost a dear friend.”
The state funeral for Carter will be held in Washington DC on Thursday 9 January. The date has also been declared a national day of mourning in the United States. There will be a public service in Atlanta, the capital of Carter’s home state, and then the former president will be buried in a private service in Plains, his home town in Georgia, where he died yesterday.
World leaders, former US presidents and other prominent figures in US political life have sent messages and tributes to the US to mark Carter’s passing.
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US flags to fly at half staff for 30 days
The US government has ordered, by tradition, that American flags will fly at half-staff, or half-mast, on all federal buildings across the country as a mark of respect upon the death of Jimmy Carter, who died yesterday.
The US Department of Veterans Affairs requires that after the death of a US president or former president, the Stars and Stripes will fly in its lower position on “all federal buildings, grounds, and naval vessels” across the US and its territories worldwide.
The tradition is carried out for 30 days, which means flags will be at half staff when president-elect Donald Trump is inaugurated in Washington DC on 20 January and Joe Biden leaves the White House as president for the last time.
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Jimmy Carter “introduced a lot of people to the term ‘born again Christian’ … and his faith informed everything about his life”, although he was a strong believer in the separation of church and state that lies at the heart of the founding principles of the United States of America, a historian of religion said this morning.
Randall Balmer, a historian of American religion, professor of religion at Dartmouth College and an author, was interviewed on CNN a few moments ago on the topic of Carter’s faith and said: “He was a strong supporter of freedom of religion.”
Balmer called Carter a progressive evangelical, a “true Baptist” who “would not want to impose his belief on anyone else”.
But his faith informed his pursuit of human rights, racial equality, women’s rights, voting rights, public sector education, prison reform, peace processes and care for the environment, he said.
“He was a progressive evangelical, he cared for what Jesus called ‘the least of us’”, which was reflected in his style as a politician, making a lot of progressive gains and reviving that ethos, Balmer said “before the rise of the religious right during his presidency reversed a lot of those gains”.
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Pope praises Carter's faith, expresses sadness
Pope Francis has said he is saddened to learn of former US president Jimmy Carter’s death and offered “heartfelt condolences” and prayers to all those mourning his passing.
In a telegram of condolence, the pontiff praised Carter’s “firm commitment, motivated by deep Christian faith, to the cause of reconciliation and peace between peoples, the defense of human rights and the welfare of the poor and those in need”, Vatican News, the official news outlet of the Holy See, reports.
Pope Francis commended the late president “to the infinite mercies of Almighty God”.
Carter was an early-era evangelical Christian, not a Catholic (John F Kennedy was the first Catholic president of the US, Joe Biden was the second), but Carter was the first US president to host a pope at the White House, with John Paul II visiting in 1979, the Vatican News article further reports.
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In his tribute to Jimmy Carter, US president Joe Biden also said that the former president “built houses for the homeless with his own hands”.
Carter began volunteering with Habitat for Humanity in 1984 and continued into old age. Former UK prime minister Gordon Brown also said in the piece he wrote for the Guardian today: “Think of his work with Habitat for Humanity, helping build with his own hands affordable homes for people in some of the world’s poorest neighbourhoods.”
Carter back in the day said of the organization: “Habitat has successfully removed the stigma of charity by substituting it with a sense of partnership.”
Last night, Habitat for Humanity thanked Carter and noted that he had “helped families build and repair homes, shone a light on the tremendous global need for decent and affordable shelter, and brought hope and opportunity to communities around the world”.
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Biden cites Carter's character as spur for early endorsement for White House
Joe Biden has given a short public address paying tribute to Jimmy Carter, with both official praise and personal anecdote.
The US president said that Carter told him in the past that he was the first official figure to endorse Carter for the presidency, back in 1976 when Biden was the Democratic US senator for Delaware. Carter was a one-term Democratic president, 1977 to 1981, before he lost to Ronald Reagan and had to leave the White House at the age of just 56.
Biden said of Carter’s passing yesterday: “It’s a sad day but it brings back an incredible amount of good memories. Today, America – and the world, in my view – lost a remarkable leader. He was a statesman and a humanitarian and Jill [first lady Jill Biden] and I have lost a dear friend.”
Biden said it “dawned on him” that he and Carter “have been hanging out for 50 years” and he recalled that the former president used to tease him affectionately.
Biden said he came out to endorse Carter for president so early because of the Georgia politician’s character.
Here’s the video of Biden’s address.
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Jimmy Carter was born and died in Plains, Georgia, a dot on the map in the south-western part of the southern state. He will be buried there after his state funeral in Washington, DC next week.
Plains is actually closer to Montgomery, Alabama, to the west, than it is to the Georgia state capital of Atlanta to the north, where the Carter Presidential Center is.
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Funeral, burial details announced for Carter
The state funeral in Washington DC for the late Jimmy Carter will take place on Thursday 9 January, according to a schedule drawn up by Joe Biden, the sitting US president who is into his last few weeks in office.
The date has also been declared at national day of mourning in the United States. There will also be a public service in Atlanta, the capital of Carter’s home state.
The Carter Center, the late president’s organization in Georgia promoting conflict resolution, human rights and democracy, has said that after those official events, Jimmy Carter will be buried in a private service in Plains, his home town in Georgia, where he died yesterday.
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The former prime minister of the UK, Gordon Brown, has written for the Guardian today about his memories of Jimmy Carter. He said:
He is, and will be, mourned in every country and continent where civil liberties are valued and peace has proved elusive; revered as the leader who stood with all those who faced imprisonment, torture or persecution for defending democracy and human rights. Carter gave oppressed people hope. I was proud to learn from him and to count him and his wonderful wife, Rosalynn – who was also his closest adviser – as friends. How to assess such a life? History will probably see Carter’s second act – his work as a former president – as more momentous than his four years in the Oval Office.
You can read his recollections in full here: Gordon Brown – My friend Jimmy Carter will be remembered long after other presidents are forgotten. Here’s why
Reuters, citing the Xinhua state news agency, reports that China’s president Xi Jinping has sent a message of condolence to US president Joe Biden, after the death yesterday of former president Jimmy Carter.
In a statement, XI said:
Former president Carter was the driving force behind the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and the US, and made important contributions to the development of China-US relations and the friendly exchanges and cooperation between the two countries.
Richard Nixon had visited the People’s Republic of China in 1972, but the US did not formally have diplomatic relations with the nation until during the Carter administration in 1979, when the US embassy in Taipei was closed and a new embassy opened in Beijing.
Among many foreign leaders paying tribute to Jimmy Carter, India’s Narendra Modi and South Africa’s Cyril Ramaphosa have also issued statements.
Modi said he was “deeply saddened” at the news of Carter’s death, describing him as “a statesman of great vision,” adding “His contributions to fostering strong India-US ties leave a lasting legacy.”
South Africa’s president Ramaphosa said:
I am deeply saddened by the passing of former US president Jimmy Carter, who we remember as an outstanding, compassionate leader and champion of human rights and peace globally.
Jimmy Carter was an outspoken critic of the apartheid state at a time when the regime was trying to ingratiate itself with influential economies around the world, and justify its inhumane policies.
Jan-Werner Müller writes for the Guardian today on the topic of Jimmy Carter, arguing that he was the most successful ex-president of the postwar period.
Carter apparently went through a difficult, depressive phase after being defeated by Reagan in a landslide. But, only 56 at the time, he resolved to use his talent and prominence to improve democratic politics, speed along whatever might have looked like a plausible “peace process” somewhere and to engage in a global fight to eradicate guinea worm. Others took different paths.
You can read more here: Jan-Werner Müller – Jimmy Carter’s life after the presidency set a bar that few others have followed
Writing in the New York Times, the administrator of the US agency for international development (USAid) Samantha Power, says of Jimmy Carter’s legacy:
The former president’s regard for human rights was an outgrowth of his Christian faith — a faith so animating that he continued to teach Sunday school while president. Carter’s embrace of international human rights also grew out of his commitment to civil rights at home.
His human rights message had broad appeal in the wake of Watergate and Vietnam, with Americans and many in Congress clamoring for ethics and decency from their leaders.
Carter didn’t just change the way US officials talked; he changed the way they worked, taking steps no American president had taken. When he assumed office, USAid had nearly twice as many staff members in Washington as in the field — an imbalance his administration corrected.
She notes in the article that Carter was the first US president “to publicly denounce apartheid in South Africa” and “the first president to assert clear American support for a ‘Palestinian homeland.’”
The Norwegian Nobel Committee has issued a statement following the death of Jimmy Carter, Reuters reports. Carter received the Nobel peace prize in 2002.
The committee said:
Upon the death of former US president Jimmy Carter, the Norwegian Nobel Committee would like to repeat its praise for his “decades of untiring effort to find peaceful solutions to international conflicts, to advance democracy and human rights, and to promote economic and social development.”
Earlier this fall, the committee had the pleasure of congratulating him on his 100th anniversary, stating that his work in favour of peace, democracy and human rights will be remembered for another 100 years or more.
Former US presidents pay tribute to Carter
Other former US presidents have also been among those paying tribute to Jimmy Carter, who died on Sunday aged 100.
Barack Obama said of Carter “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.”
George W Bush described Carter as “loyal to his family, his community, and his country” and a man of “deeply held convictions.”
In a statement former president Bill Clinton and former secretary of state Hillary Clinton said they were proud to have supported Carter. The former president said he was “proud to have presented the medal of freedom to him and [his wife] Rosalynn in 1999, and to have worked with him in the years after he left the White House.”
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Overnight our picture editors put together this gallery of Jimmy Carter’s life.
Biden's full statement on Jimmy Carter's death
Here is the text of president Joe Biden’s statement on the death of Jimmy Carter:
Today, America and the world lost 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.
With his compassion and moral clarity, he worked to eradicate disease, forge peace, advance civil rights and human rights, promote free and fair elections, house the homeless, and always advocate for the least among us. He saved, lifted, and changed the lives of people all across the globe.
He was a man of great character and courage, hope and optimism. We will always cherish seeing him and Rosalynn together. The love shared between Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter is the definition of partnership and their humble leadership is the definition of patriotism.
We will miss them both dearly, but take solace knowing they are reunited once again and will remain forever in our hearts.
To the entire Carter family, we send our gratitude for sharing them with America and the world. To their staff – from the earliest days to the final ones – we have no doubt that you will continue to do the good works that carry on their legacy.
And to all of the young people in this nation and for anyone in search of what it means to live a life of purpose and meaning – the good life – study Jimmy Carter, a man of principle, faith, and humility. He showed that we are great nation because we are a good people – decent and honorable, courageous and compassionate, humble and strong.
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Republicans honor 'unshakeable' and 'humble' Jimmy Carter
Other US political figures to pay tribute to Jimmy Carter include US House speaker Mike Johnson and senior Republican senator Mitch McConnell.
McConnell said “President Carter served during times of tension and uncertainty, both at home and abroad. But his calm spirit and deep faith seemed unshakeable.”
Johnson said “President Carter’s story was one of humble beginnings, and his life is a testament to the boundless opportunities available in this great nation. Because of his work in brokering the Camp David accords and his advocacy with Habitat for Humanity, the world is a more peaceful place, and more Americans have a place to call home. No one can deny that President Carter led an extraordinary life of service to his country. May he rest in peace.”
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Our video team have produced this obituary for Jimmy Carter, the former US president who died on Sunday aged 100.
If you would like something to listen to, we have a special edition of our Politics Weekly America podcast, in which Jonathan Freedland talks to Jimmy Carter’s biographer, Jonathan Alter, about why history should look favourably on the peanut farmer turned politician. You can find that here …
Jimmy Carter was the longest-lived US president, and his death was announced yesterday after he had spent 22 months in hospice care. Senior US politicians have paid tribute, among them vice president Kamala Harris and incoming vice president JD Vance.
Harris said “President Jimmy Carter was guided by a deep and abiding faith — in God, in America, and in humanity. Jimmy Carter’s life is a testament to the power of service — as a lieutenant in the US navy, the 76th governor of Georgia, and the 39th president of the US. He reminded our nation and the world that there is strength in decency and compassion.”
Vance said in a statement “Jimmy Carter dedicated his life to serving this country. Our thoughts and prayers go out to his loved ones. May he rest in peace.”
Tributes continue for former president hailed as ‘statesman and humanitarian’
Tributes have continued to pour in for Jimmy Carter, the former US president who died aged 100 on Sunday.
The 39th president of the United States was a tireless advocate for global health and human rights, and president Joe Biden has declared a national day of mourning for 9 January, describing Carter as an “extraordinary leader, statesman and humanitarian.”
“To all of the young people in this nation and for anyone in search of what it means to live a life of purpose and meaning – the good life – study Jimmy Carter, a man of principle, faith, and humility,” Biden said in a statement.
Incoming president Donald Trump said in a statement on his Truth Social network that Carter “did everything in his power to improve the lives of all Americans” and the nation owed Carter “a debt of gratitude.”
World leaders have also paid effusive tributes, with the UK’s King Charles saying Carter’s “dedication and humility served as an inspiration to many”, and France’s president Emmanuel Macron describing him as “a steadfast advocate for the rights of the most vulnerable.”
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