"Goodbye Carter" Former U.S. President Carter's State Funeral... Gathering of Former and Current Presidents

State Funeral at Washington D.C. National Cathedral
Five Former and Current Presidents Gathered Together
Biden Delivers 'Pointed' Eulogy Targeting Trump
"Carter's Enduring Attribute Is the Strength of Character"

The state funeral for former U.S. President Jimmy Carter, the 39th president, was held on the 9th (local time) at the National Cathedral in Washington D.C. At the funeral, five current and former presidents, including President Joe Biden, President-elect Donald Trump, and former President Barack Obama, gathered to pay tribute to former President Carter.

The state funeral began in the morning with a 21-gun salute and the transfer of the casket, which had been lying in state at the Capitol, to the cathedral.

The funeral, which lasted about two hours from 10 a.m., featured eulogies delivered by President Biden, Carter's grandson Josh Carter, Steven Ford, son of former President Gerald Ford, and Ted Mondale, son of former Vice President Walter Mondale.

Steven Ford, son of former President Ford who passed away in 2006, read a eulogy written by his father before his death. He said, "Jimmy, I look forward to our reunion," and added, "We have a lot to talk about." Former President Ford was Carter's predecessor and political rival, but they became close enough to promise to deliver eulogies at each other's funerals. When Ford passed away in 2006, Carter delivered the eulogy.

There were also pointed remarks highlighting the extremely divided political landscape in the U.S. ahead of President-elect Trump's return to the White House.

In his eulogy, President Biden emphasized that Carter's enduring quality was the strength of his character. He stated that Carter "was born in a house without running water or electricity and rose to the pinnacle of power," and that "no title or politics could break his mission to serve and change the world." This statement appeared to be aimed at President-elect Trump, whom Biden has criticized for focusing solely on himself and fostering division for political gain. The Washington Post (NYT) evaluated that "former President Biden indirectly criticized today's politics through one of his last speeches as president."

Stuart Eisenstat, who assisted former President Carter at the White House, said in his eulogy, "Many of his bills passed with bipartisan support," adding, "That is a quaint notion in today's extremely polarized atmosphere."

At the funeral, former Presidents Bill Clinton, George W. Bush, and Barack Obama, as well as all former and current first ladies except Michelle Obama, were present. President-elect Trump and former President Obama were seen sitting next to each other and conversing before the event. Notably, President-elect Trump wore a blue tie instead of the Republican symbolic red tie. The New York Times (NYT) commented, "It is no small matter that President-elect Trump abandoned his signature navy suit, white shirt, and red tie at a high-profile event," calling it "an unusual display of presidential unity at Jimmy Carter's funeral." The Associated Press and others reported that the current and former presidents held a private meeting before the event, which was an unusual sight in the recently highly divided American political scene.

Additionally, Vice President Kamala Harris, former Vice President Mike Pence and his wife, Vice President-elect J.D. Vance, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, United Nations Secretary-General Ant?nio Guterres, and members of the U.S. Congress also attended the funeral.

Former President Carter passed away on December 29 last year at the age of 100. Although he failed to win re-election and retired from politics, he actively worked for world peace and human rights after leaving office and was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2002. After the state funeral, Carter's remains were moved to Plains, Georgia, where a final private funeral will be held at Maranatha Baptist Church. Afterwards, he will be interred in the family cemetery near his home, where his wife Rosalynn, who passed away in November 2023, is also laid to rest.

President Biden designated the day as a "National Day of Mourning," and federal government offices and the New York Stock Exchange were closed.