Joe Biden and Donald Trump lead the honors

Joe Biden and Donald Trump paid tribute to former US President and Nobel Peace Prize winner Jimmy Carter, who died at the age of 100.

Carter, who lived longer than any other president in history, died on Sunday afternoon at his home in Plains, Georgia.

Biden described him as “a man of principle, faith and humility,” while Trump said all Americans owe Carter “gratitude.”

Carter rose from peanut farmer to president in 1977 before being forced out of the White House after just four years in office when Ronald Reagan stormed to victory in the next election.

After leaving the White House with low approval ratings, his reputation was restored through humanitarian work, which earned him the Nobel Peace Prize.

“Today, America and the world lost an extraordinary leader, statesman and humanitarian,” President Biden and first lady Jill Biden said in a statement.

“To all the young people of this nation and to all who seek what it means to live a life of meaning and purpose – the good life – study Jimmy Carter, a man of principle, faith and humility “, they added.

“He showed that we are a great nation because we are a good people – decent and honorable, courageous and compassionate, humble and strong.”

President-elect Trump posted on Truth Social: “The challenges Jimmy faced as president came at a crucial time for our country and he did everything in his power to improve the lives of all Americans.”

“We all owe him a huge debt of gratitude for that.”

World leaders also paid tribute to Carter.

King Charles III said: “His dedication and humility served as an inspiration to many and I remember with great joy his visit to the UK in 1977.”

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said Carter was “motivated by his strong faith and values” and that he had “redefined the post-presidency with a remarkable commitment to social justice and human rights at home and abroad.”

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said Carter was “a leader who served at a time when Ukraine was not yet independent, but his heart was firmly with us in our ongoing fight for freedom.”

French President Emmanuel Macron said he was a “steadfast defender of the rights of the most vulnerable and has fought tirelessly for peace.”

Before becoming president in 1977, Democrat Carter was governor of Georgia, a lieutenant in the U.S. Navy and a farmer.

Carter’s presidency will be remembered for his difficulties in dealing with acute economic problems and several foreign policy challenges, including the Iran hostage crisis that ended with the deaths of eight Americans.

There was, however, a notable foreign policy triumph in the Middle East when he helped negotiate an agreement between Egypt and Israel signed at Camp David in the US in 1978.

But that seemed a distant memory two years later, when voters overwhelmingly went for Republican Ronald Reagan, who had portrayed the president as a weak leader incapable of dealing with inflation and interest rates at near record highs to get along.

Carter lost the 1980 election in a landslide, winning only six states plus Washington DC

After leaving the White House, he became the first and only president to return full-time to the house where he had lived before politics – a modest two-bedroom ranch-style house.

He chose not to pursue the lucrative after-dinner speeches and publishing deals that most former presidents expected. he told the Washington Post in 2018that he never really wanted to be rich.

Instead, he spent his remaining years tackling the global problems of inequality and disease.

He founded the Carter Center in 1982 to pursue his vision of world diplomacy and received the Nobel Peace Prize in 2002 for his efforts with the foundation to promote human rights around the world.

He also co-founded The Elders with Nelson Mandela, a group of world leaders dedicated to working for peace and human rights.

Carter is survived by his four children, 11 grandchildren and 14 great-grandchildren.

His wife of 77 years, Rosalynn, died in November 2023.

Carter’s son Chip announced his death, saying his father was “a hero, not just to me, but to all who believe in peace, human rights and selfless love.”

“My brothers, my sister and I shared it with the rest of the world through this common faith. The world is our family because he brought people together.”

As of 2018 and the death of George HW Bush, Carter was the oldest living US president.

Carter stopped medical treatment for an undisclosed illness last year and instead began receiving hospice care at his home. He had suffered from health problems, including melanoma that had spread to his liver and brain.

Another important tribute came from Barack Obama, who reflected on his time with Carter and said, “He taught us all what it means to live a life of grace, dignity, justice and service.”

Maranatha Baptist Church in Plains, where Carter taught Sunday school into his 90s, “will be a little quieter on Sundays,” Obama said.

“But President Carter will never be far away – he will be buried next to Rosalynn next to a willow tree at the end of the road, and his memory calls us all to look out for our better angels.”

Former US President Bill Clinton and his wife, former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, also spoke of Carter’s faith.

“President Carter lived to serve others – to the end,” the statement said.