A fabricated screenshot of a letter purportedly from the office of former U.S. President Jimmy Carter surfaced online saying that Carter had “passed away” on July 23, 2024. The letter, which sparked viral rumors of Carter’s death, is a fake, the creator of the post told Reuters.
A spokesperson for the Carter Center also said about the letter being shared online Tuesday, “This is false. There has been no announcement or change.”
The screenshot, opens new tab has letterhead at the top that reads, “The Office of Jimmy Carter” and is dated July 23, 2024. The first paragraph says that the 99-year-old “passed away Tuesday, July 23 at 01:34 a.m. at his home” in Plains, Georgia.
However, the letter is not posted on the website of the Carter Center, opens new tab, the nongovernmental organization founded by the ex-president and his wife, Rosalynn Carter, or on the center’s social media, opens new tab.
The former president has faced several medical issues, including cancer, and entered hospice care at his Georgia home in February 2023. He made a rare public appearance in November at a memorial service for his wife, who died on Nov. 19.
The earliest iteration of the fake letter image appears in a post on X, opens new tab and carries text revealed by clicking “ALT” on the screen, saying the former president “is still alive” and that the letter “was an experiment to see how gullible people are to sensationalist headlines.”
In response to a request for comment, the owner of the account took credit for creating the letter, telling Reuters in a direct message, “I created it last night. The amount of misinformation which spread throughout the weekend surrounding the state of President Biden’s health was maddening.… 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 author 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.”
Text within the letter itself also provided indications that it was a hoax, including a typo in the sixth paragraph (bweing) and a fake quote calling Carter’s late wife “the original Brat” – a reference to a meme that took hold shortly after Vice President Kamala Harris announced her 2024 presidential campaign, in which internet users paired videos of Harris with songs by the British artist Charli XCX.