Jimmy Carter back to building houses one day after fall that left him with stitches and black eye

Former US President Jimmy Carter said he feels "good enough to build houses" following a recent fall that gave him a black eye and required stitches above his brow.

Jimmy Carter

Source: Reuters

Nursing fourteen stitches, a black eye and a large bandage, Jimmy Carter has every right to take a backseat and quietly enjoy some of his later years.

However, the former US president is proving passion never wanes, particularly when it comes to taking up tools.

Despite turning 95 last week, Mr Carter is back actively working on the construction of new porches for more than 20 homes in the US city of Nashville.

Wearing a baseball cap of the Atlanta Braves and sporting a gauze bandage across his left eye, the former commander-in-chief addressed a crowd on why he was looking a little worse for wear.

"I fell down and hit my forehead on a sharp edge and had to go to the hospital. And they took 14 stitches in my forehead and my eye is black, as you've noticed," he said.

"But I had a number one priority and that was to come to Nashville and build houses."

The oldest living former US president and his wife Rosalynn have volunteered with Habitat for Humanity for the past three-and-a-half decades, building homes all across the United States and the world.

While philanthropy remains at the front and centre of Mr Carter's mind, the former US president remains across national and international affairs and has some advice for America's current leader.

On calls for President Donald Trump to cooperate with Congress' impeachment inquiry, Mr Carter argues Mr Trump's refusal to comply with lawmakers' requests has left Americans grappling for answers.

"Tell the truth, I think, for a change," Mr Carter told MSNBC.

Mr Trump has denied any wrongdoing over his ties with Ukraine and has reacted to the inquiry with a flurry of posts on Twitter lobbing obscenities and insulting nicknames for Democratic lawmakers, who launched their impeachment probe two weeks ago.


Share
2 min read

Published

Updated

Source: Reuters, SBS

Tags

Share this with family and friends


Get SBS News daily and direct to your Inbox

Sign up now for the latest news from Australia and around the world direct to your inbox.

By subscribing, you agree to SBS’s terms of service and privacy policy including receiving email updates from SBS.

Download our apps
SBS News
SBS Audio
SBS On Demand

Listen to our podcasts
An overview of the day's top stories from SBS News
Interviews and feature reports from SBS News
Your daily ten minute finance and business news wrap with SBS Finance Editor Ricardo Gonçalves.
A daily five minute news wrap for English learners and people with disability
Get the latest with our News podcasts on your favourite podcast apps.

Watch on SBS
SBS World News

SBS World News

Take a global view with Australia's most comprehensive world news service
Watch the latest news videos from Australia and across the world