Republican Texas Governor Greg Abbott accidentally expressed condolences to Jimmy Carter’s late wife shortly after the former Democratic president’s death on Sunday.
As reported by Dallas news station WFAA, Abbott’s statement said she sent “prayers and deep condolences” to former first lady Rosalynn Carter and the rest of her family shortly after her husband passed away at age 100. . However, Rosalynn Carter passed away over a year ago, on November 19, 2023, at the age of 96.
The Democratic Party of Collins County, Texas, seized on this blunder and wrote to X, “Did anyone in the governor’s office authenticate the letter of condolence?”
Another social media user wrote: “Condolences to Rosalynn Carter? She passed away in November 2023. What the hell are you wrong about?”
As the Houston Press noted, several hours passed before Abbott’s office distributed an amended statement about Jimmy Carter’s death that removed references to his late wife of 77 years.
“Cecilia and I extend our prayers and deepest condolences to the entire family,” the amended statement read.
Both versions of the statement by Abbott, who otherwise served as President of the United States from 1977 to 1981, called for peaceful resolution of global conflicts, advanced human rights and democracy, and promoted economic and social He spoke passionately about Jimmy Carter, who won the Nobel Peace Prize in 2002 for his work promoting development.
Abbott’s statement came as politicians around the world reacted to Carter’s death, saying, “In the best of times and in the worst of times, we know that our country remains the greatest beacon of freedom and opportunity in the world. We owe a lot to our fearless CEOs who have guided us through this process.” “For that, we are eternally grateful to President Carter…and he will be greatly missed by many.”
Mr. Abbott’s gaffe on Sunday was reminiscent of other episodes in which he made headlines for his unscrupulous behavior. In the summer of 2023, when American conservatives were criticizing Bud Light for using transgender influencer Dylan Mulvaney to promote its brand, Abbott announced that country singer Garth Brooks He shared a fake news article from a satirical website that claimed he was “heckled by patriots.” ” over his support of beer.
“Gosh is up. Go bankrupt,” Mr. Abbott wrote on one of his social media accounts regarding the fake article, which Republicans say was about Mr. Brooks serving a Bud Light at a Nashville bar. The post comes after Republicans were furious over the announcement that they would offer it and asked patrons to be lenient.
Several fellow social media users pointed out that the article Mr. Abbott was passing off as real news came from the Dunning-Kruger Times satirical website. A disclaimer on the website discloses that the content is “parody, satire, and humorous expressions.”
The governor quickly deleted the post, which had fun at Brooks’ expense. But he didn’t do it in time to avoid social media users taking screenshots of his mistake and mocking it.
“I was really happy when I saw that,” Christopher Blair later said in an interview with the Guardian. “He’s one of the stupidest people in this country.”
Coincidentally, Brooks and fellow country singer Trisha Yearwood (his wife) helped lead the 2024 Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter Work Project with Habitat for Humanity, resulting in Thirty new homes have been built as part of an affordable housing initiative in St. Paul, Minnesota. .
Abbott has been Texas’ governor since 2015, promoting policies that praise the gun industry, oppose immigration and infuse Christianity into public education.
