By Joke Kujenya
A FALSE letter claiming former U.S. President Jimmy Carter died on July 23, 2024, went viral online.
The letter, allegedly from Carter’s office, sparked rumours of his death.
The post’s creator later admitted to Reuters that the letter was a fabrication.
A spokesperson for the Carter Center confirmed the letter is fake. “This is false. There has been no announcement or change,” they said.
The letter claimed Carter, 99, died at his home in Plains, Georgia.
But this was not found on the Carter Center’s website or social media.
Carter, who has faced health issues and entered hospice care in February 2023, made a rare public appearance in November for his wife’s memorial.
The fake letter first appeared in a post on X, revealing it was an experiment to test people’s gullibility.
The account owner confirmed to Reuters, “I created it last night. I wanted to show how quickly misinformation can spread.”
The letter appeared to be on official Carter office letterhead and included a false biography.
A July 23 Facebook post shared the fake letter, which was then widely circulated.
Carter was still alive at the time of the report.
His organization confirmed this, calling the letter a fabricated news release.
Carter, the oldest living former president, opted for hospice care after cancer spread to his brain.
A Carter Center spokesperson reiterated, “This is false. There has been no change or announcement.”
The fake letter contained several red flags, including vulgar language and critical remarks about Carter’s presidency.
Despite this, some people believed it.
Utah Sen. Mike Lee shared the fake letter on X before deleting it.
Lee has previously shared false information on social media. His office did not respond to requests for comment.
The New York Post also published and then removed an obituary for Carter. The link now redirects to their homepage.
