Biden sends prayers to ex-president Carter in hospice care

Washington (AFP) - US President Joe Biden on Sunday sent "love" and prayers to Jimmy Carter, the day after the former president, 98, entered hospice care.

After several hospital stays, Carter, who led the United States from 1977 to 1981, has decided to spend his "remaining time" at home, his nonprofit foundation announced Saturday.

Carter, the oldest living former president and a Nobel peace laureate, lives in Plains, Georgia, with his wife Rosalynn.

Fellow Democratic President Joe Biden said he and his wife, Jill, were with Carter and his relatives "in prayer and send you our love."

"We admire you for the strength and humility you have shown in difficult times," Biden said on Twitter. "May you continue your journey with grace and dignity, and God grant you peace."

The Carter foundation tweeted a thank-you message to the Bidens.

In April 2021, Biden and his wife met with the Carters at their home in Plains. 

The White House afterward released a photo showing the couples smiling together, although only Rosalynn was seen by the press outside, bidding the Bidens farewell while using a walker.

Biden's tweet follows an outpouring of tributes and words of comfort for the former leader and his relatives.

His foundation, The Carter Center, founded in 1982 to pursue his vision of world diplomacy, tweeted: "We really appreciate all the kind words we've received from President Carter's admirers."

In recent years, Carter has received various hospital treatments, including when he revealed in August 2015 that he had brain cancer and was undergoing radiation treatment -- an illness he recovered from, seemingly against the odds.

During his presidency, Carter placed a commitment on human rights and social justice, enjoying a strong first two years.

But his administration hit numerous snags and he was relegated to a single term when he was beaten in 1980 by Republican challenger Ronald Reagan.

Carter said basic Christian tenets such as justice and love served as the bedrock of his presidency, and he taught Sunday school at Maranatha Baptist, his church in Plains, well into his 90s.