Former president Jimmy Carter and his wife, Rosalynn, have made a surprise appearance at a peanut festival in their Georgia home town, the Carter Center wrote in a social media post on X, formerly known as Twitter.
The former president, who was also once a peanut farmer, and his wife are seen in a video riding through the Plains Peanut Festival in a black SUV.
“Beautiful day for President & Mrs. Carter to enjoy a ride through the Plains Peanut Festival! And just a week before he turns 99,” the Carter Center wrote on X after sharing the video taken by a spectator.
Beautiful day for President & Mrs. Carter to enjoy a ride through the Plains Peanut Festival! And just a week before he turns 99.
— The Carter Center (@CarterCenter) September 23, 2023
We’re betting peanut butter ice cream is on the menu for lunch!#JimmyCarter99 https://t.co/c3b9OqzjXU
The former president is 98 and has been in home hospice care since February. He turns 99 on 1 October. The former first lady has since been diagnosed with dementia. The couple this summer marked their 77th wedding anniversary, extending their record as the nation’s longest-married first couple.
“It was amazing considering that he is in hospice care, and he is tough enough to come out here. In my opinion, he is one of the toughest men to serve as President, and he is my favorite,” Reed Elliotte, a Corbin, Kentucky resident, told WALB-TV.
Carter, a one-term Democrat who left office in 1981, has lived longer after leaving the White House than any former president in US history.
In recent years, he has suffered from several health issues including melanoma that spread to his liver and brain, although he was said to have responded well to treatment.
Last month their grandson, Josh Carter, said the former first couple were “still holding hands” but that it was clear they were “in the final chapter”.
Associated Press and Reuters contributed to this report
