Jimmy Carter dies at 100: Trump, Biden, Obama, Bush and Clinton pay tribute to former US president

Jimmy Carter, the longest living US president, died at the age of 100 in Plains, Georgia, on Sunday. The Nobel Prize winner had been under hospice care for two years.

The Carter Center revealed public observances will be held in Atlanta and Washington, DC, which will be followed by a private funeral ceremony in Plains, Georgia.

President Joe Biden and all living former US presidents are expected to attend the funeral, including president-elect Donald Trump. They also paid tribute to the late president.

Remembering Carter as a dear friend of six decades, Biden said, "...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."

In a statement released by the White House, Biden and First Lady Jill Biden recalled Carter as an "extraordinary leader, statesman, and humanitarian" and as a figure of "great character, courage, hope, and optimism."

President-elect Donald Trump took to Truth Social on Sunday, saying America owes Carter "a debt of gratitude" as he did everything in his power to improve the lives of all Americans.

Trump said he and his wife Melania are "thinking warmly of the Carter Family and their loved ones during this difficult time", urging everyone to remember them in their prayers.

Setting aside philosophical and political differences, Trump said Carter "truly loved and respected our Country, and all it stands for." He said Carter worked hard to make the nation a better place, saying he was "consequential, far more than most Presidents, after he left the Oval Office".

Barack Obama, the 44th president, lauded Carter's decency, saying he believed that integrity, respect and compassion were more important than reelection. "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."

Former President George W Bush recalled Carter as a man of "deeply held convictions" who was loyal to his family, community and country. He added that Carter's efforts to leave behind a better world did not end with the presidency.

Bill Clinton, the 42nd president, said Carter was guided by his faith and lived to serve others — until the very end." He added, "Hillary and I mourn the passing of President Jimmy Carter and give thanks for his long, good life."