Former US President Jimmy Carter was falsely announced dead and went viral despite an obviously fake letter that called his late wife ‘a baddie’.
US politicians reacted and some media organizations even ran stories after a letter circulating X (formerly Twitter) on Tuesday morning declared Carter, 99, deceased.
The letter from the ‘Office of Jimmy Carter’ stated that he ‘died peacefully, with family by his side’, at his home in Plains, Georgia, at 1.34am on Tuesday.
It listed various of his accomplishments as America’s 39th president, but also contained some content that clearly sounded off.
In particular, the letter quoted Carter comparing the late Rosalynn Carter to other former first ladies.
‘At her passing last November, President Carter said, “Rosalynn was a baddie. Jill, Melania, even throat goat Nancy Reagan had nothing on Rosalynn. She was the original Brat,”‘ stated the letter.
Rosalynn died aged 96 on November 19 after a 77-year marriage with Jimmy and serving as a human rights and mental health advocate.
Tuesday’s letter also quoted the former president as saying that their marriage was his greatest achievement and that ‘as long as Rosalynn was in the world, I always knew somebody loved and supported me’.
The second paragraph of the letter stated erroneously stated that Jimmy achieved foreign policy accomplishments including ‘selling the United States out to Panama’.
It appeared to first have been shared by far-right political activist Laura Loomer, FOX 5 reported.
Loomer took down the post after it receives many re-posts, and she called the letter ‘gross’.
‘Why would someone fabricate a letter saying a President died? I have deleted the letter and I’m keeping President Carter and his family in my prayers,’ wrote Loomer on X. ‘People should not post death hoaxes.’
Loomer was roasted for the post, including by an X user who accused her of ‘trying desperately to break the news anyway you can’.
‘Do the one thing responsible journalist do and research things before you put them out,’ wrote the user.
The ex-president remains in hospice. His 100th birthday is approaching on October 1, and many believe he will hang on at least until then.
Jimmy began hospice care in his Plains home in February 2023, announcing at the time that he had ‘decided to spend his remaining time at home with his family… instead of additional medical intervention’.
His grandson, former Georgia Senator Jason Carter, on Monday said that his grandfather would be proud of fellow Democratic President Joe Biden’s decision to drop out of the 2024 race.
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