Biden Honors Late President Jimmy Carter, Reflects on 50-Year Friendship

President Biden eulogized Jimmy Carter, celebrating a 50-year friendship and Carter's enduring impact, including his humanitarian work.
President Biden pays tribute to Jimmy Carter

Biden Reflects on Long-Standing Political Alliance with Jimmy Carter

President Joe Biden delivered a heartfelt eulogy for former President Jimmy Carter on Thursday, highlighting a political alliance that spanned nearly five decades.

“Throughout his life, [Carter] showed us what it means to be a practitioner of good works and a good and faithful servant of God,” Biden stated. “Today, many think he was from a bygone era. In reality, he saw well into the future.”

Jimmy Carter, initially an underdog in the 1974 presidential race, was then the governor of Georgia. His candidacy was overshadowed by a crowded field of 16 other hopefuls and limited recognition outside Georgia.

In a pivotal moment in August 1975, Biden, at the time the youngest U.S. senator and a Democratic Party rising star, became the first senator to endorse Carter. This support was crucial for Carter’s eventual nomination victory.

Biden actively campaigned for Carter. In a September 1976 interview with KFMB, Biden expressed confidence in Carter’s ability to outperform President Gerald Ford in debates.

“I think the biggest thing the debates will do is firm up which way the undecided voters are going to go,” Biden remarked, “and I’m convinced they’ll go with Gov. Carter.”

Both Carter and Biden served single terms as president. Carter’s legacy includes the longstanding peace treaty between Israel and Egypt and the establishment of the Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) program.

Despite these accomplishments, Carter’s presidency faced challenges such as high inflation and international tensions.

During the 1980 Democratic convention challenge by Massachusetts Sen. Ted Kennedy, Biden played a key role in rallying senators against Kennedy’s bid, ensuring Carter retained the nomination.

At the convention, Biden praised Carter’s leadership and criticized Republican candidate Ronald Reagan for providing “false hope.” Delaware delegates displayed support for Biden with a “Biden in ’84” banner.

Following his defeat to Reagan in 1980, Carter devoted his post-presidential years to humanitarian efforts, including working with Habitat for Humanity and combatting the Guinea worm disease.

When Carter began addressing the Guinea worm issue in 1986, there were 3.5 million cases. By 2023, when Carter entered hospice care, cases had reduced to 14.

Biden commended Carter’s humanitarian efforts during the eulogy, stating, “Jimmy Carter also established a model post-presidency by making a powerful difference as a private citizen in America and around the world. Through it all, he showed us how character and faith starts with ourselves and then flows to others.”

Carter was honored with the Nobel Peace Prize in 2002 and passed away on December 29 at the age of 100.


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