A letter circulating on social media that claimed that former President Jimmy Carter has died is fake. The Carter Center said that there was no change in his condition.
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A Carter Center spokesperson told WSB “This is false. There has been no announcement or change.”
The original post was shared on the social media platform X, but has since been deleted.
It appeared to have been written on letterhead from “The Office of Jimmy Carter” and was dated July 23, 2024. The first line read that he had “passed away Tuesday, July 23 at 01:34 a.m. at his home,” Reuters reported.
But when displaying the ALT text of the image, it read that Carter “is still alive” and that the letter “was an experiment to see how gullible people are to sensationalist headlines,” Reuters reported.
There were also typos in the text and referred to Rosalynn Carter, the former president’s late wife as “the original Brat,” a term that has been in the spotlight this week in reference to memes about Vice President Kamala Harris.
The letter also was not posted on the Carter Center’s website or social media channels.
Still, not everyone caught that the letter was fake. Business Insider reported that Sen. Mike Lee of Utah shared the image of the letter which contained sexually explicit untruths.
Snopes found that conservative commentator Laura Loomer shared and then deleted the post. She admitted that she had shared it, calling the fake letter “Gross” and “adding “People should not post death hoaxes.”
Jimmy Carter, 99, is in hospice care which he entered in February 2023. Rosalynn Carter died in November 2023 after being diagnosed with dementia.
Jason Carter, the first couple’s grandson, gave an update on the former president’s health in June saying his grandfather is “experiencing the world as best he can,” WSB reported.
Jimmy Carter turns 100 years old on Oct. 1.
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