As his 100th birthday draws near, former U.S. President Jimmy Carter has revealed his ultimate birthday wish—to vote for Vice President Kamala Harris in the 2024 election.
Carter, who has been in hospice care since Feb. 2023, could make history on Oct. 1 as the first president to reach his 100th birthday. But he told his family a bigger goal for him would be to see the defeat of Republican nominee Donald Trump, according to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
His grandson Jason Carter said he told his son Chip a few days ago, when asked whether he was trying to make it to his 100th birthday, that he is “only trying to make it to vote for Kamala Harris.” He has also recently been “more alert and interested in politics and the war in Gaza,” Carter’s grandson said.
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Jason Carter in July also endorsed Harris as the top choice to beat Trump, according to Fox 5 Atlanta. “Vice President Harris has the benefit of being part of this ticket and having been a part of this ticket for the last several months and years. She’s run before nationally; she’s been part of the team that beat Trump last time, and she knows how this works,” he said.
On Aug. 1, Carter’s family announced “Jimmy Carter 100: A Celebration in Song,” a centennial concert scheduled for Sept. 17 at the Fox Theatre, Atlanta—a star-studded event to celebrate the life and legacy of the 39th U.S. President.
The line-up includes Chuck Leavell, D-Nice, Drive-By Truckers, Eric Church, GROUPLOVE, Maren Morris, The War And Treaty, and The Atlanta Symphony Orchestra Chamber Chorus, the Carter Center, which Jason Carter chairs, announced in a press release.
“Whether it was on his record player, on the campaign trail, or on the White House lawn, music has been—and continues to be—a source of joy, comfort, and inspiration for my grandfather,” the former president’s grandson said in a statement. “I can think of no better way to celebrate him and his 100th birthday than a night of music.”
Vice President Harris on Friday officially secured the Democratic nomination for president after meeting the threshold of 2,350 delegates backing her.
Harris swiftly gained the support and endorsements of her fellow Democrats after President Joe Biden quit the race last month following a disastrous debate performance against Trump. Born to a Jamaican father and Indian mother, Harris would become the first female president of the United States, and the first Asian American president if she is victorious.
