The death of former U.S. President Jimmy Carter on Dec. 29 drew reactions nationwide, ranging from celebrating his humanitarian work and quaint southern lifestyle to debates over his time in the White House from 1977-1981.For Matt Soper, the Delta Republican representing House District 54 in the House of Representatives, Carter’s passing was cause for celebration.Close to midnight on Dec. 29, Soper posted on the platform formerly known as Twitter, X, the following:“Opened a bottle of Champaigne tonight! The world is rid of a despot! Thank God he finally called Carter home! The worst president in the history of the U.S.! We are still recovering! He destroyed the U.S. in such a way that even the 4th generation is still suffering!”Soper deleted the tweet the next day after receiving backlash through a score of replies. He did not acknowledge the tweet in any follow-up posts, with his next post being a picture of a hanukkiah lighting to commemorate the sixth night of Hanukkah, tweeted at 2:52 a.m. on Tuesday.The Daily Sentinel reached out to Soper for comment and received a text from Soper late Tuesday morning, reading:“My only comment will be that my Tweet/X was in poor taste and while I am not a fan of fmr Pres Carter, expressing the sentiments I did I am very sorry for and apologise to the people of Colorado.”Carter served as the 39th President of the United States after four years serving as the governor of his home state of Georgia, elevating in the Democratic Party through his support for the Civil Rights Movement, his military experience, his background as a peanut farmer and his focus on energy policy.Carter’s administration established the departments of energy and education, but various factors — such as the Iran hostage crisis, an energy crisis and stagflation — resulted in a historic landslide loss in the general election to Republican Ronald Reagan in 1980.Carter has been recognized just as much, if not more so, for his nonprofit and humanitarian work after leaving office, which resulted in the 2002 Nobel Peace Prize. In the wake of his death, many have highlighted his interactions with the public in his later years, such as his tendency to not only fly commercially but also shake hands with all passengers as he made his way to his seat.Soper’s tweet celebrating Carter’s death at 100 years old is not the first time he’s found himself at the center of social media controversy. In March 2023, Soper tweeted that Western Slope residents “need to be prepared for civil war” over several Colorado Legislature bills addressing gun laws. He then apologized for “some of those words” before the Colorado House.

Rep. Soper tweets, deletes celebration of Jimmy Carter's death

“My only comment will be that my Tweet/X was in poor taste and while I am not a fan of fmr Pres Carter, expressing the sentiments I did I am very sorry for and apologise to the people of Colorado.”Carter served as the 39th President of the United States after four years serving as the […]

“My only comment will be that my Tweet/X was in poor taste and while I am not a fan of fmr Pres Carter, expressing the sentiments I did I am very sorry for and apologise to the people of Colorado.”Carter served as the 39th President of the United States after four years serving as the governor of his home state of Georgia, elevating in the Democratic Party through his support for the Civil Rights Movement, his military experience, his background as a peanut farmer and his focus on energy policy.

The death of former U.S. President Jimmy Carter on Dec. 29 drew reactions nationwide, ranging from celebrating his humanitarian work and quaint southern lifestyle to debates over his time in the White House from 1977-1981.Soper deleted the tweet the next day after receiving backlash through a score of replies. He did not acknowledge the tweet in any follow-up posts, with his next post being a picture of a hanukkiah lighting to commemorate the sixth night of Hanukkah, tweeted at 2:52 a.m. on Tuesday.“Opened a bottle of Champaigne tonight! The world is rid of a despot! Thank God he finally called Carter home! The worst president in the history of the U.S.! We are still recovering! He destroyed the U.S. in such a way that even the 4th generation is still suffering!”Close to midnight on Dec. 29, Soper posted on the platform formerly known as Twitter, X, the following:For Matt Soper, the Delta Republican representing House District 54 in the House of Representatives, Carter’s passing was cause for celebration.Carter’s administration established the departments of energy and education, but various factors — such as the Iran hostage crisis, an energy crisis and stagflation — resulted in a historic landslide loss in the general election to Republican Ronald Reagan in 1980.The Daily Sentinel reached out to Soper for comment and received a text from Soper late Tuesday morning, reading:Carter has been recognized just as much, if not more so, for his nonprofit and humanitarian work after leaving office, which resulted in the 2002 Nobel Peace Prize. In the wake of his death, many have highlighted his interactions with the public in his later years, such as his tendency to not only fly commercially but also shake hands with all passengers as he made his way to his seat.Soper’s tweet celebrating Carter’s death at 100 years old is not the first time he’s found himself at the center of social media controversy. In March 2023, Soper tweeted that Western Slope residents “need to be prepared for civil war” over several Colorado Legislature bills addressing gun laws. He then apologized for “some of those words” before the Colorado House.