James Earl Carter Jr., known to most simply as Jimmy Carter, was the 39th president of the United States. President Carter won his presidency in a narrow victory over then-Republican leader Gerald Ford, who was running for reelection after serving as a replacement for Richard Nixon, who resigned in 1974 after the Watergate scandal. 

On Tuesday, May 14, President Carter’s grandson, Jason Carter gave an update on the 99-year-old former President’s health during a mental health forum at the Carter Center in Atlanta. 

Carter’s legacy extends far beyond his presidency. He is renowned for his humanitarian efforts, a commitment he has maintained to this day. His and his wife’s foundation, the Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter Work Project, is a testament to this. The Carter Work Project, in collaboration with Habitat for Humanity, constructs homes annually in marginalized communities, both in the United States and overseas. 

Carter’s presidency did not go uncriticized though, as he was almost a complete foil to that of former President Gerald Ford. In fact, on his second day in office, President Carter pardoned all Vietnam War draft dodgers with Proclamation 4483. President Carter inherited economic trouble with his election, and throughout his presidency, he worked diligently to attempt to bring rates of unemployment and inflation down. While his presidency did bring a decrease in the United State’s budget deficit and additional eight million jobs, interest rates and inflation were still at record highs at the end of his administration. 

“And he really is, I think, coming to the end that, that — as I’ve said before, there’s a part of this faith journey that is so important to him. And there’s a part of that faith journey that you only can live at the very end, and I think he has been there in that space,” Jason Carter said. 

President Carter entered hospice care in February 2023 and has decided to spend the rest of his life at his famous home in Plains, Georgia. His wife of 77 years, Rosalynn Carter, passed away in November 2023.

Jason Carter chuckled and quoted President Carter saying, “Well, I don’t know myself,” when his grandson told him that people still asked how he was doing while they were watching an Atlanta Braves game at the former President’s home.

President Carter is the oldest living President in United States history.