Current:Home > BackJimmy Carter, 99, Is Still Alive Despite Death Hoax-LoTradeCoin
Jimmy Carter, 99, Is Still Alive Despite Death Hoax
View Date:2024-12-23 19:02:14
Jimmy Carter is not dead, contrary to recent rumors.
After the former U.S. President, 99, was the target of a death hoax, his doctor set the record straight.
"I can confirm that the reports out there are not true," Dr. Michael Raines, the Carter family's physician, told Georgia TV station WALB in comments posted July 23. "He is doing as well as can be expected being in hospice, but he has not passed away."
The death hoax comes more than a year after Carter entered hospice care at his Georgia home. His doctor said the retired politician "has not had any significant health issues in the last three or four weeks. Or since the last time I saw him, and I am on the way there today to reevaluate him and make my usual visit with him."
The death rumors began after a photo of an official-looking fake letter stating Carter had “passed away” at his home on July 23 was shared on X. The creator of the post had themselves admitted the letter was fake after it went viral hours later.
Big thank you yo [sic] everyone who fell for this," they tweeted, "Particularly for proving me right: people only read headlines."
They had also included a hidden message in the image's alt text, noting, "President Carter is still alive and in hospice care. This was an experiment to see how gullible people are to sensationlist headlines."
Of course, within the letter itself, there were clues it was a fake as it contained a typo and also contained a quote attributed to Carter in which he allegedly referred to his late wife Roslyn Carter, who died in 2023 at age 96, as a "baddie" and, referencing Charli XCX’s latest album, "the original Brat."
As for why the social media user created the letter in the first place, they admitted it came amid new rumors about President Joe Biden, which followed his July 21 announcement that he was dropping his 2024 re-election bid and is endorsing Vice President Kamala Harris as the Democratic candidate.
“The amount of misinformation which spread throughout the weekend surrounding the state of President Biden’s health was maddening," the poster told Reuters July 23. "I wanted to prove that many people on X often spread sensationalist news and headlines without actually fact checking or double checking the source content.”
The person added, "I have no ill will towards President Carter and his family, and I admire him greatly for his service to our nation and efforts to promote democracy around the world."
For the latest breaking news updates, click here to download the E! News AppveryGood! (6973)
Related
- Congress heard more testimony about UFOs: Here are the biggest revelations
- Abortion has passed inflation as the top election issue for women under 30, survey finds
- Teen dies suddenly after half marathon in Missouri; family 'overwhelmed' by community's support
- Rihanna Shares Sweet Insight Into Holiday Traditions With A$AP Rocky and Their 2 Kids
- Engines on 1.4 million Honda vehicles might fail, so US regulators open an investigation
- How important is the Port of Tampa Bay? What to know as Hurricane Milton recovery beings
- Third-party candidate Cornel West loses bid to get on Pennsylvania’s presidential ballot
- Martha Stewart Says Prosecutors Should Be Put in a Cuisinart Over Felony Conviction
- Ex-Phoenix Suns employee files racial discrimination, retaliation lawsuit against the team
- NCAA pilot study finds widespread social media harassment of athletes, coaches and officials
Ranking
- Social media star squirrel euthanized after being taken from home tests negative for rabies
- Three-time NBA champion Danny Green retires after 15 seasons
- Far from landfall, Florida's inland counties and east coast still battered by Milton
- Here's the difference between a sore throat and strep
- Some women are stockpiling Plan B and abortion pills. Here's what experts have to say.
- Kentucky woman arrested after police found dismembered, cooked body parts in kitchen oven
- DirecTV has a new free streaming service coming. Here's what we know
- Pharrell says being turned into a Lego for biopic 'Piece by Piece' was 'therapeutic'
Recommendation
-
Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan says next year will be his last in office; mum on his plans afterward
-
Social Security COLA shrinks for 2025 to 2.5%, the smallest increase since 2021
-
Florida power outage map: 2.2 million in the dark as Milton enters Atlantic
-
Watch dad break down when Airman daughter returns home for his birthday after 3 years
-
Up to 20 human skulls found in man's discarded bags, home in New Mexico
-
Trump seizes on one block of a Colorado city to warn of migrant crime threat, even as crime dips
-
Maryland candidates debate abortion rights in widely watched US Senate race
-
MoneyGram announces hack: Customer data such as Social Security numbers, bank accounts impacted