Joe Biden sends his love and prayers to Jimmy Carter

The 98-year-old former US president has entered hospice care at his home in Plains, Georgia.

Joe Biden with Jimmy Carter after being picked by Barack Obama as his running mate in August 2008. Picture: UPI

US President Joe Biden has sent love and prayers to Jimmy Carter, the day after the former president, 98, entered hospice care at his home.

After several hospital stays, Mr Carter, president from 1977 to 1981, has decided to spend his “remaining time” at home, his non-profit foundation announced on Saturday.

Mr Carter, the oldest living former president and a Nobel peace laureate, lives in Plains, Georgia, with his wife Rosalynn.

Fellow Democrat President Joe Biden said he and his wife, Jill, were with Carter and his relatives “in prayer and send you our love”.

“We admire you for the strength and humility you have shown in difficult times,” Mr Biden tweeted. “May you continue your journey with grace and dignity, and God grant you peace.”

Out of concern over the Covid-19 pandemic, Mr Carter didn’t attend Mr Biden’s inauguration in January 2021, and instead released an audio statement in support of the incoming President. That April, the Bidens met the Carters at their home in Plains.

Mr Biden’s tweet follows an outpouring of tributes and words of comfort for the former leader and his relatives. The Carter Centre, founded in 1982 to pursue his vision of world diplomacy, tweeted: “We really appreciate all the kind words we’ve received from president Carter’s admirers.”

In recent years, Mr Carter has received various hospital treatments, including when he ­revealed in August 2015 that he had brain cancer and was undergoing radiation treatment – an illness he recovered from, seemingly against the odds.

During his presidency, Mr Carter placed a commitment on human rights and social justice, enjoying a strong first two years. But his administration hit snags and he was relegated to a single term when he was beaten in 1980 by Republican challenger Ronald Reagan. He was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2002 for his work to resolve international conflicts and to promote democracy, human rights and economic and social development.

Mr Carter said basic Christian tenets such as justice and love served as the bedrock of his presidency, and he taught Sunday school at Maranatha Baptist, his church in Plains, well into his 90s. He also continued to work with Habitat for Humanity to build more than 4000 homes for low-income households until 2020.

AFP