ATLANTA — Former President Jimmy Carter's landmark 100th birthday is now just days away, and his grandson says after 19 months in hospice care, his condition remains unchanged.
Jason Carter, the 39th president's grandson, said it's been "a period of reflection" for their entire family.
The comments came during a wide-ranging conversation with the former Democratic state senator on 11Alive's Sunday politics show, The Georgia Vote.
He discussed his grandfather's condition, his faith and his legacy. The younger Carter also spoke about his own potential political future.
You can find some of the highlights of the interview below.
You can also watch a concert celebration of the 39th President Tuesday night on Georgia Public Broadcasting.
President Jimmy Carter's condition
Jason Carter: It's been 19 months since he went into hospice, and he's really in the same situation. And all of us are amazed by the longevity of this period for him, this period of reflection for us and for everyone else. But there's still been virtually no change at all. And we're still just excited to have as much of him as we do.
President Carter's legacy
Jason Carter: I think he has a complicated legacy, but it really boils down to me, and I think for him, that he lived out his faith and the commandment to love your neighbor as yourself in a way that made him respect people. And he used that respect to tell the truth. He used that respect to promote human rights. He used that respect to work with the least of these, all over the world in a way that gave him partners in the poorest places in the world to do remarkable things.
The role faith plays in President Carter's life
Jason Carter: I think this point of being in hospice when he chose to forego any additional medical treatment, you know, he was making a decision that he was ready for whatever God had in store for the end of his life. And there's a part of that faith journey that you can only live at the very end. And he has been there in that moment for a very long time, and I think he has struggled with it at times. I know for a fact that he's been frustrated with sort of whatever this plan is. But I think he has given himself over in these last few days to God's plan in the same way that he lived out the rest of his life. So it's a remarkable thing to watch.
Jason's memories of his grandfather
Jason Carter: One of the great joys for me, you know, not everybody gets to experience their grandfather until they're almost 50 years old. You know, my children are 18 and 15, they have really long, deep memories of their great-grandfather. Those personal relationships are real and impactful just in that way, you know.
I mean, the things that I think about that stopped me in my tracks about my grandfather are not about public legacy, but they're about, you know, going fishing or, you know, him teaching my kids how to, you know, shoot a gun or how to clean a catfish. You know, I mean, those are the things that are the personal side for me that stop me.
President Carter supports VP Harris in upcoming election
Jason Carter: I do know that what he has told us is that, yes, he's excited for his 100th birthday, but he's also excited to vote for Kamala Harris, right? He's waiting for his absentee ballot. He's going to cast that ballot, and I think he's ready, like many of us to turn the page on this Donald Trump era of our politics.
I think he also would say that he was in big politics as governor or president for eight years, and the other 92 years, he was a citizen, and he considers that title to be the highest in the United States. And one of the things that citizens do is vote. And so I think fundamentally he would want to make sure people got out and exercise that right.
Jason Carter's political future
11Alive's Zach Merchant: You ran for governor about a decade ago. You spoke at the DNC this year. This is not the only interview you've done in recent years. Are you exploring a run for governor in 2026, when the race will be open?
Jason Carter: I'm really not thinking about that right now, and, you know, that's what you say when you are running, but I'm really not thinking about it right now. I think that this presidential election is going to define our politics so much for the next decade that you really can't make decisions about what you're going to do after that until we get through this 2024 election. So that's an honest answer. That might sound like a politician answer, but it's true.
Merchant: Not ruling it out?
Carter: No, I've never ruled it out.