Former US president Carter, nearing 100, excited to vote for Harris, grandson says
WASHINGTON, Aug 21 (Reuters) -Former U.S. President Jimmy Carter, 99, is eagerly awaiting his chance to cast a ballot for Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris this fall even as he approaches his 100th birthday, his grandson said on Wednesday.
Carter, a Democrat who served in the White House from between 1977 and early 1981, has been in hospice care for about 18 months and suffered the loss of his wife Rosalynn last year. But he remains "engaged" and wants to see the country move past former Republican President Donald Trump, Jason Carter told MSNBC.
"He's super aware," Jason Carter said. "Just recently, we were talking about his 100th birthday, and he said, 'Yeah, I'm excited about that, but I'm really excited to vote for Kamala Harris.'"
The former peanut farmer and nuclear submarine officer from Georgia has lived longer after his four-year term in office than any other U.S. president. He will turn 100 on Oct. 1, six days before the Southern state starts mailing out absentee ballots. Early in-person voting starts on Oct. 15.
"He's engaged, like a lot of people in Georgia, pretty energized by the current moment," Jason Carter said.
Harris faces a close race against Trump, who served from 2017 until early 2021 after losing his 2020 reelection bid to Democratic President Joe Biden.
Biden stepped aside last month and endorsed Harris, his vice president, for the nomination. Carter was also a one-term president after losing to Republican Ronald Regan in 1980.
Carter went gone on to earn a reputation that he has acknowledged is better than when he was president. He received the Nobel Peace Prize for his humanitarian work.
The Carter Center, led by his grandson, is planning a centennial celebration for the former president next month in Atlanta.
"His body is very physically diminished, but he's doing well," Jason Carter told MSNBC.
"He's sort of remarkably engaged in these moments, and is excited about the prospects that we have to sort of turn the page on this era that we've been living in with Donald Trump as sort of a constant presence in our politics."
Reporting by Susan Heavey; editing by Jonathan Oatis
Latest News
Disclaimer: The XM Group entities provide execution-only service and access to our Online Trading Facility, permitting a person to view and/or use the content available on or via the website, is not intended to change or expand on this, nor does it change or expand on this. Such access and use are always subject to: (i) Terms and Conditions; (ii) Risk Warnings; and (iii) Full Disclaimer. Such content is therefore provided as no more than general information. Particularly, please be aware that the contents of our Online Trading Facility are neither a solicitation, nor an offer to enter any transactions on the financial markets. Trading on any financial market involves a significant level of risk to your capital.
All material published on our Online Trading Facility is intended for educational/informational purposes only, and does not contain – nor should it be considered as containing – financial, investment tax or trading advice and recommendations; or a record of our trading prices; or an offer of, or solicitation for, a transaction in any financial instruments; or unsolicited financial promotions to you.
Any third-party content, as well as content prepared by XM, such as: opinions, news, research, analyses, prices and other information or links to third-party sites contained on this website are provided on an “as-is” basis, as general market commentary, and do not constitute investment advice. To the extent that any content is construed as investment research, you must note and accept that the content was not intended to and has not been prepared in accordance with legal requirements designed to promote the independence of investment research and as such, it would be considered as marketing communication under the relevant laws and regulations. Please ensure that you have read and understood our Notification on Non-Independent Investment. Research and Risk Warning concerning the foregoing information, which can be accessed here.
