US President Joe Biden visited his party member and predecessor Jimmy Carter in his southern home state of Georgia on Thursday. There, Biden also tried to mobilize support for the stimulus package he envisions for the US economy.
Biden and his wife Jill had a private interview with the elderly Carter and his wife, Rosalynn. It was the first time since Biden’s election victory in November that the two had met.
“They are such a strong reminder that serving your country is not limited to your office,” Jill Biden said afterwards, introducing her husband to a rally with supporters. “The Carters continue to work every day to make this country stronger, and we are grateful and honoured for their friendship.”
Carter, 96, is the longest-living president in American history. At 78, Biden is the oldest man ever to take up residence in the White House. In 1976, Biden was one of the first MPs to express his support for Carter when he ran for the presidential election.
The former president remained out of the picture in the collected news media on Thursday. However, his 93-year-old wife was seen with her walker when she walked the Bidens again. In addition to the news media, many of the 640 residents of Carter’s hometown of Plains were on their feet to witness the Bidens’ visit.