PoliticsU.S. NewsArts and Entertainmentwashington dc

Jimmy Carter Shakes Hands With Every Passenger On Flight To Washington

"His enthusiasm was authentic and humble, in a way that made things feel less heavy for a moment."
Open Image Modal
By 

Senior Politics Reporter, HuffPost

Jimmy Carter is making flying great again.

The 92-year-old former president boarded a Delta flight from Atlanta to Washington on Thursday and shook hands with every passenger on board ― a friendly gesture he has made a habit of.

Passenger James Sheffield, who was on his way to Washington to participate in Transgender Lobby Day on Capitol Hill, caught the moment on video and posted it to Twitter.

“It’s hard to put into words what a nice reprieve from the current political theater this moment was,” he told Atlanta’s WSB-TV.

“His enthusiasm was authentic and humble, in a way that made things feel less heavy for a moment,” Sheffield added.

Our 2024 Coverage Needs You

As Americans head to the polls in 2024, the very future of our country is at stake. At HuffPost, we believe that a free press is critical to creating well-informed voters. That's why our journalism is free for everyone, even though other newsrooms retreat behind expensive paywalls.

Our journalists will continue to cover the twists and turns during this historic presidential election. With your help, we'll bring you hard-hitting investigations, well-researched analysis and timely takes you can't find elsewhere. Reporting in this current political climate is a responsibility we do not take lightly, and we thank you for your support.

to keep our news free for all.

Support HuffPost

Before You Go

Jimmy Carter's Accomplishments
(01 of11)
Open Image Modal
Jimmy Carter waves before the crowd on the floor of the Democratic Convention of 1980. (Photo by © CORBIS/Corbis via Getty Images) (credit:Historical via Getty Images)
Jimmy Carter(02 of11)
Open Image Modal

Jimmy Carter as Ensign, USN, circa World War II.

 (credit:PhotoQuest via Getty Images)
Democratic Candidate for President(03 of11)
Open Image Modal

Following a successful governorship in Georgia, Jimmy Carter started to dream bigger. He and Walter Mondale ran for the presidency and vice presidency in 1976, defeating incumbent President Gerald Ford and running mate Bob Dole.

 (credit:Blank Archives via Getty Images)
Iran Hostage Crisis(04 of11)
Open Image Modal

Iranian students climb over the wall of the U.S. embassy in Tehran during the Iranian Revolution, Nov. 4, 1979. The students went on to seize the embassy staff and hold 52 of them as hostages for 444 days.

 (credit:Agence France Presse via Getty Images)
(05 of11)
Open Image Modal
American politician and US Presidential candidate Jimmy Carter holds a handful of peanuts (referencing his career as a peanut farmer) during a campaign event, Boston, Massachusetts, 1976. (Photo by Mikki Ansin/Getty Images) (credit:Mikki Ansin via Getty Images)
Iranian Hostages Released(06 of11)
Open Image Modal

United States hostages depart an airplane on their return from Iran in January 1981, after being held for 444 days. The hostages were released on the very day Carter left the White House. One of the hostages is waving his fists in the air, and a sign on the plane door says, "Welcome Back to Freedom."

 (credit:Express via Getty Images)
Nobel Peace Prize Winner(07 of11)
Open Image Modal

Former U.S. President Jimmy Carter holds up his Nobel Peace Prize Dec. 10, 2002, in Oslo, Norway. Carter was recognized for many years of public service and urged others to work for peace during his acceptance speech.

 (credit:Arne Knudsen/Getty Images)
(08 of11)
Open Image Modal
Barbara Jordan and other prominent Democrats congratulate Jimmy Carter for his presidential nomination at the 1976 Democratic National Convention. (Photo by Owen Franken/Corbis via Getty Images) (credit:Owen Franken via Getty Images)
Jimmy Carter(09 of11)
Open Image Modal

Jimmy Carter at a book signing for A Full Life: Reflections At Ninety at Vroman's Bookstore on July 30, 2015, in Pasadena, California.

 (credit:Paul Redmond/Getty Images)
(10 of11)
Open Image Modal
ATLANTA - October 1: President Ronald Reagan and First Lady Nancy Reagan join Former President Jimmy Carter and Former First Lady Rosalynn Carter at the Carter Center Presidential Center Dedication in Atlanta Georgia. October 1, 1986 (Photo By Rick Diamond/Getty Images) (credit:Rick Diamond via Getty Images)
(11 of11)
Open Image Modal
ATLANTA - October 1: President Ronald Reagan and First Lady Nancy Reagan join Former President Jimmy Carter and Former First Lady Rosalynn Carter at the Carter Center Presidential Center Dedication in Atlanta Georgia. October 1, 1986 (Photo By Rick Diamond/Getty Images) (credit:Rick Diamond via Getty Images)
Suggest a correction
|
Submit a tip