The funeral of President Jimmy Carter is uniting all five living former presidents as Washington’s political leaders gather to honor the life of the 39th president, who passed away on December 29 at the age of 100.
Thursday’s service marks the final farewell to the longest-living U.S. president, concluding six days of commemorative events held at the U.S. Capitol, the Carter Presidential Center in Atlanta, and his hometown of Plains, Georgia.
President Joe Biden and former Presidents Barack Obama, Bill Clinton and George W. Bush,and President-elect Donald Trump are attending the service.
President Biden is expected to deliver a eulogy at the service which takes place at the Washington National Cathedral.
Following Carter’s passing, Biden described the late president as a “dear friend,” praised his character, and highlighted both his achievements as president and his more than four decades of humanitarian work after leaving office.
“What I find extraordinary about Jimmy Carter, though, is that millions of people all around the world, all over the world, feel they lost a friend, as well, even though they never met him,” Biden said. “That’s because Jimmy Carter lived a life measured not by words but by his deeds.”
As previously mentioned, President-elect Trump is attending the service, despite recently criticizing Carter’s presidential record during a conference. Trump specifically claimed that Carter’s loss in the 1980 re-election was tied to his decision to hand over control of the Panama Canal Zone to Panama.
“Nobody wants to talk about the Panama Canal now because, you know, it’s inappropriate, I guess,” Trump remarked. “But it’s a bad part of the Carter legacy.”
Donald Trump’s negative words about Jimmy Carter were almost unique, as not only the US but other nations’ leaders around the globe have expressed admiration for the 2002 Nobel Peace Prize winner in recognition of his humanitarian and peace efforts and what is universally considered a stellar post-presidency.
