Jimmy Carter, the former US president who struggled with a bad economy and the hostage crisis but had a long and admired career after the fall of the White House, will be honored at a state funeral in Washington
Fellow Democratic President Joe Biden will eulogize the 39th president, who died on December 29 at the age of 100. Biden, during his long career in the U.S. Senate, was the first member of that chamber to support Carter for president in the 1976 campaign.
President-elect Donald Trump, who on Tuesday criticized the treaties signed by Carter during his presidency to hand over control of the Panama Canal to Panama, former presidents Bill Clinton, George W. Bush and Barack Obama participate.
Some world leaders and foreign dignitaries are in attendance, including Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Prince Edward, Duke of Edinburgh.
Carter lived longer than any other US president and was in hospice for almost two years before his death. His last public appearance was at the funeral of his wife Rosalynn. who died in November 2023. During this service, Carter was in a wheelchair and appeared frail.
After a state funeral, Carter's remains will be returned to his native Plains, Georgia, where he lived for 44 years after leaving the White House and was the base of operations for his diplomatic work and charitable activities, including Habitat for Humanity.
The late President Gerald Ford, in a tribute written especially for Jimmy Carter's funeral, said: “We both married above ourselves.” Ford's son, Steven, read the comments.
“The End of an Era”
Over the past two days, tens of thousands of Americans have filed through the Capitol Rotunda to pay their respects to Carter, who served from 1977 to 1981 and was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2002 for his humanitarian work.
While waiting in line outside the Capitol, Dorian DeHaan said her daughter had married into the family of the president's younger sister, Ruth, which gave him the opportunity to meet the former president in Plains.
“But it's a sad moment,” DeHaan, 67, said. “It's the end of an era, and I think in some ways we've lost that true faith in humanity during our presidency.”
Public viewing hours extended overnight and ended just before sunrise on Thursday. An honor guard will then transport his remains to the National Cathedral in Washington, where state funerals were held for Carter's immediate predecessor, Gerald Ford, and successor, Ronald Reagan.
Carter attended both of these funerals and delivered a eulogy for Ford.
Two of Carter's grandsons will speak at the service, with music provided by Garth Brooks and Trisha Yearwood.