Colorado representative receiving criticism after post celebrating death of Jimmy Carter

DENVER, Colo. (KRDO) – A Colorado representative from the Western Slope is facing backlash after a social media post in which he said he was celebrating the death of former President Jimmy Carter.

Rep. Matt Soper called the late president a "despot" in an X post on Dec. 29, saying that Carter was the "worst president in the history of the U.S."

The post was deleted the next day, but not before receiving a plethora of criticism online, including many calling for his resignation.

When our Denver news partners reached out to Soper for an explanation, he declined to comment, but said his comment was "in poor taste” and he is “very sorry.”

That apology never made it to his X account, and he did not acknowledge the controversial tweet in any follow-up posts.

This isn't the first time Soper has posted incendiary claims online. Just last year, he apologized to Colorado democrats after calling them "tyrants" and telling them to prepare for "civil war" over several state bills addressing gun laws.

Carter, who served as the 39th president of the United States, was most known for his blue-collar background and humanitarian work both in and out of office. He was awarded a Nobel Peace Prize in 2002 for his contributions to peace negotiations, campaigns for human rights and work for social welfare.