Biden says America and the world lost a 'remarkable leader' with Carter's death

President Joe Biden broke from his family vacation in the U.S. Virgin Islands to remember Jimmy Carter, recalling his predecessor as a role model and friend.

America and the world lost a “remarkable leader” with Carter’s death, Biden said, adding that he had spoken to several of the former president's children and was working with them to formalize memorial arrangements in Washington.

Speaking for roughly 10 minutes, Biden remembered Carter as a humanitarian and statesman, someone he couldn't imagine walking past a person in need without trying to help them.

"He forged peace, he advanced civil rights, human rights, promoted free and fair elections around the world," said Biden.

The U.S. president repeatedly praised Carter's “character” and his values, saying his "moral clarity lifted people up and changed lives and saved lives all over the globe."

Biden called it a “sad day” but one that “brings back an incredible amount of good memories."

He recalled the former president being a comfort to him and his wife Jill when their son Beau died in 2015 of cancer. The president remarked how cancer was a common bond between their families, with Carter himself having cancer later in his life.

Former U.S. President Jimmy Carter died at the age of 100, after roughly 22 months in hospice care.

The Carter Center said the 39th president died Sunday afternoon at his home in Plains, Georgia, where he and his wife, Rosalynn, who died in November 2023, lived most of their lives. The center said he died peacefully, surrounded by his family.