Jimmy Carter, the former US president who struggled with a bad economy and a hostage crisis but went on to a long and respected career after the White House, will be honored at a state funeral in Washington, DC, on Thursday.
Fellow Democrat President Joe Biden will eulogize the 39th president, who died on December 29 at the age of 100. During his long career in the US Senate, Biden was the first member of that chamber to endorse Carter for president in the 1976 campaign.
President-elect Donald Trump, who on Tuesday criticized the contracts Carter signed during his presidency to give Panama power over the Panama Canal, he is expected to attend, as are former presidents Bill Clinton, George W. Bush and Barack Obama.
Some world leaders and foreign dignitaries will also attend, including Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Prince Edward, Duke of Edinburgh.
Carter lived longer than any other American president and was in the hospital for almost two years before his death. His last public appearance was at the funeral of his wife, Rosalynn. who died in November 2023. At that service, Carter used a wheelchair and appeared frail.
After the state funeral, Carter’s remains will be returned to his native Plains, Ga., where he lived in his 44 years after the White House and was the base of operations for his diplomatic work and charitable efforts including Habitat for Humanity.
“End of an Era”
Tens of thousands of Americans have passed through the US Capitol Rotunda over the past two days 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.
As she waited in line for a public viewing outside the Capitol, Dorian DeHaan said her daughter had married into the family of the president’s younger sister, Ruth, presenting an opportunity to meet the former president on the Plains.
“But it’s a sad moment,” said DeHaan, 67. “It’s the end of an era, and I think we’ve lost a little bit of real faith in humanity, in our presidency.”
Public viewing hours extended overnight and ended just before sunrise Thursday. Afterward, an honor guard will transport his remains to the National Cathedral in Washington, D.C., which hosted the state funerals of Carter’s immediate predecessor, Gerald Ford, and successor, Ronald Reagan.
Carter attended both of those funerals and gave a eulogy for Ford.
During the service, two of Carter’s grandchildren will speak, while Garth Brooks and Trisha Yearwood will be part of the musical accompaniment.
