Remarks on the Death of Former First Lady Rosalynn Carter in an Exchange With Reporters Prior to Departure for Joint Base Andrews, Maryland

Q. Mr. President, your thoughts on Rosalynn Carter? Your thoughts on the—former First Lady?

The President. I'll take one question; then I'll depart. The day she was put in hospice, I was on the phone with the family, and I was speaking to their grandson, and the family was just showing up. You know, they're really an incredible family because they brought so much grace to the office.

And you know, it's one thing if you're—if one is being President, and you're putting on the show while you're President. Look at what kind of post-President he was. He did the same thing for people after he was President, when he was retired—not for money, for just help. He was an incredible guy.

I—he still is there. I haven't—I talked to the family today—not the family, the family spokesman today in Plains. And I was told that all the family, all the children and grandchildren are with Jimmy Carter.

And I always joked that he always would say to me, "You're the first person to ever"—I endorsed him. I was the first person to endorse him, as a U.S. Senator, when he ran.

But he had just great integrity. He still does. And she did too. Imagine, they were together—what? Seventy-seven years.

Anyway, I hope—anyway, they were all satisfied—they were happy—the family that I talked—that they were together. They were together.

So God bless you all. Thanks.