Chip Carter marvels at bipartisanship he witnessed at Habitat for Humanity, father’s funeral

EXCLUSIVE – Chip Carter helped launch the 39th annual Habitat for Humanity Jimmy & Rosalynn Carter Work Project in October, praising his late father for his bipartisan efforts to build homes.

The Carter Work Project is a weeklong event the Carters created in 1984. Over the years, they worked alongside more than 100,000 volunteers to build, renovate and repair nearly 4,400 homes, according to Habitat for Humanity.

Chip said building homes appealed to his parents because it was a wholly apolitical pastime.

“You know, Mom and Dad spent so much time here at Habitat and working on these things and giving of themselves and I think one of the reasons he really liked it is because it’s totally not political,” Carter told Fox News Digital. “You don’t know whether the man or woman that’s using the hammer beside you is a Democrat or a Republican and you never talk politics. I think they really enjoyed that week away from it that they got to spend every year.”

JIMMY, ROSALYN CARTER’S HABITAT FOR HUMANITY LEGACY WILL CONTINUE, ORGANIZATION SAYS

“Certainly for us, we think every Habitat build is special, but the Carter Project is really our signature event every year, where, not only do we get to build homes here in Austin, which is wonderful, but it’s a time to bring attention nationally to the huge need for affordable housing all across the U.S. And across the world,” Habitat for Humanity CEO Jonathan Reckford similarly told Fox Digital. “So it’s a joyful week.”

Carter said his dad’s bipartisan efforts weren’t just on display during construction projects.

“I think he was certainly not pretentious at all,” Carter said of his dad. “He didn’t change much during the process. He had his facts and his beliefs, and he tried to do whatever he thought was correct, without worrying about getting re-elected. And obviously, he didn’t. But, it’s a way to give. This week, for me, when I show up on Monday, I’ll get sore. When I go through by Friday, I won’t be. And on Friday, we give the key away to a house. And so there’d be homeowners there that are just so excited that never would have had a chance for a home. And I had spent a week giving of myself.” 

“You know, on Fridays I pat myself on the back,” he continued. “I feel as good about me for doing this then as I do feel about me the whole rest of the year. So this is one of my favorite weeks. I’ll continue to come back. This time I brought my daughter and her husband so that when I get older — if dad was here he’d say 92 would be a good age — but when I get older that my daughter and her husband can take over and still have a Carter presence on this and help carry on the legacy.”

JIMMY CARTER, 39TH PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES, DEAD AT 100

Rosalynn Carter died at age 96 in 2023 and Jimmy Carter died last year at the age of 100. All five living men who once occupied the White House — then-President Biden and former presidents Bill Clinton, George W. Bush, Barack Obama and then-President-elect Donald Trump — came together for the funeral at the Washington National Cathedral on Jan. 9, 2025.

Trump and Obama sat next to each other for the service, and it was their smiling, animated exchange, in particular, that drew the most attention. Their interaction sparked viral memes and parody videos, with lip readers trying to guess what the two men were talking about. Their chummy conversation even prompted some figures like Clay Travis, founder of sports and politics commentary platform OutKick, to joke, “Did Obama vote for Trump too?”

Trump was asked about the viral moment ahead of his inauguration, remarking that he “didn’t realize how friendly it looked.”

“You know — I’m sorry my father died, but the funeral was fantastic,” Carter said. “It was, it was non-political almost, and we had a lot of Republicans saying wonderful things about my parents and my parents deserved that because they helped people their whole lives, and it made me feel good to be an American again. And, of course, it was difficult to spend 11 days — to have an 11-day funeral. But, it was inspiring to me and to my family, I know, and we just appreciate the outpouring of love that we’ve received from America and across the world.”

JIMMY CARTER’S FUNERAL BRINGS ALL FIVE LIVING PRESIDENTS TOGETHER IN WASHINGTON, DC

“Property Brothers” hosts Jonathan and Drew Scott served as Habitat Humanitarians for the Habitat for Humanity Jimmy & Rosalynn Carter Work Project in Austin, Texas, last month. They worked alongside more than 1,000 volunteers to provide safe, sustainable, affordable housing.

Habitat heralded its construction heroes, but noted that America still faces a 3.8 million unit housing shortage and said millions of Americans are unable to afford the homes they have. 

“The 39th annual Carter Work Project is more than a homebuilding event, it’s a living legacy of service inspired by the Carters’ vision for a more compassionate, united America,” the organization wrote.