Former President Jimmy Carter is approaching his 100th birthday next month, but even though the ailing Democrat has been in hospice care for 18 months, he’s turning his attention to politics and the 2024 election.
The 99-year-old son of James Earl ‘Chip’ Carter III was interviewed by The Washington Post where she shared how her father has been spending some of his time, including watching all of the speeches at the Democratic National Convention last month.
Carter was not present at the Chicago convention, but he was the oldest Democratic delegate and his family recorded all of his speeches.
“He thought Michelle Obama was the best and Kamala was great, too,” said Carter’s 74-year-old son, Chip.
Former President Jimmy Carter turns 100 on Oct. 1. His family told The Washington Post that more than just his birthday, he cares about voting for Kamala Harris.
The former president wasn’t the only one to praise the former first lady’s speech last month. Her harsh criticism of former President Donald Trump on the second night of the convention was one of the most talked-about speeches of the entire event.
Carter turns 100 on Oct. 1. While his health has further deteriorated following the death of his wife Rosalynn in November, his family said that as his birthday approaches, the 99-year-old is talking more, asking about the campaign season and “revelling” in Kamala Harris’ momentum.
According to his son Chip, the former president’s main goal is not to make it to his birthday, although there are a number of events planned, but rather another monumental event.
Young Carter told The Washington Post his father’s response when told that some people believe he is trying to stay alive to make it to the milestone birthday.
‘He said he didn’t care about that. It’s just a birthday. He said he cared about voting for Kamala Harris,’ she said.
Kamala Harris campaigns in New Hampshire on September 4, 2024. According to her family, former President Jimmy Carter is thrilled with her push in the presidential race.
Carter thought former first lady Michelle Obama’s convention speech was the best. He delivered a stunning rebuke of former President Donald Trump when he took the stage on the second night on Aug. 20, 2024.
The Carter family said the 39th president can’t wait to cast his mail-in ballot for vice president.
“He doesn’t think Donald Trump should be president again,” Chip Carter said.
Georgia is one of the most hotly contested states of the 2024 election season. The Real Clear Politics average shows Harris leading rival Donald Trump by 0.1 percent. President Biden won the state by fewer than 12,000 votes in 2020.
Carter also shared with The Washington Post his father’s response to Biden’s decision not to seek a second term this summer.
According to Chip, the former president turned to him as he watched the 81-year-old announce he would not run for re-election and softly said, “That’s sad.”
Biden and Carter will have one other thing in common besides both being Democratic presidents: each will have served only one term as commander in chief.