Jason Carter reflects on birthday celebrations for his grandfather, former President Jimmy Carter

September 29th, 2023

Former President Jimmy Carter, right, sits with his grandson Jason Carter during a ribbon cutting ceremony for a solar panel project behind them on farmland he owns in his hometown of Plains, Ga., Wednesday, Feb. 8, 2017. (AP Photo/David Goldman)

Former President Jimmy Carter turns 99 this weekend and his grandson, former Georgia state Sen. Jason Carter, tells WABE’s “Morning Edition” he’s spending as much time as he can with his “Paw-Paw.”

Carter is the longest-lived U.S. president. He has been in home hospice care at his Plains residence since February. His wife Rosalynn, now 96, has dementia and is also at home.

But even though they’re physically limited, the Carters still took a ride through the Plains Peanut Festival in Plains, Georgia, last Saturday. The Carter Center posted a photo of the couple on social media, even hinting that peanut butter ice cream was on the menu for lunch.

A birthday celebration will take place here in Atlanta at The Carter Presidential Library and Museum on Saturday, pushed up from Sunday because of the looming federal government shutdown. The presidential library is federally funded. A government shutdown would also affect Carter’s childhood home and other historic sites in Plains.

Jason Carter joined “Morning Edition” to talk about the major milestone.

Lily Oppenheimer contributed to this report.