Former President Jimmy Carter will be the keynote speaker at Liberty University’s commencement on May 18, the Christian college announced Thursday.
“I am pleased to speak at Liberty University’s Commencement,” Carter said. “I look forward to reaching out to this young generation of future leaders. I hope to inspire them as so many have inspired me throughout my life.”
It’s an intriguing choice by Carter, 93, who was defeated for reelection in 1980 by Ronald Reagan, whom Liberty’s founder, the influential televangelist and Moral Majority head Jerry Falwell, had thrown his support to. Two other U.S. presidents have been commencement speakers at the Lynchburg, Va., school, both while still in office and both Republicans: George H.W. Bush in 1990 and President Donald Trump last year.
Liberty’s current president, Jerry Falwell Jr., has been a strong supporter of Trump, including speaking up for him last summer when he appeared to blame both sides for the violence in Charlottesville.
“President Donald Trump does not have a racist bone in his body. I know him well,” Falwell Jr. said on Fox and Friends.“He loves all people… He’s doing all the right things to help the people that are in need, the minorities.”
In Thursday’s statement, Falwell Jr. said he first met Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter early last year, and that he was “so impressed” with the former president’s “warmth, kind demeanor, and humility. It is one of the greatest honors of my life to welcome President Carter to our Commencement stage.
“I have tremendous respect for him as a statesman and a true Christian,” he continued. “While Christians may disagree about what role government should play in serving those in need, the Liberty University community along with all Christians worldwide are united in the belief that we, as individuals, should provide food and shelter to the poor. President Carter, both during his time in office and since, has followed the teachings of Christ by serving the poor and loving his neighbors. I am thrilled that he will be sharing the story of his life of faith in action to our graduates and their families.”
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