Former President Jimmy Carter was eulogized at Washington National Cathedral on Thursday by loved ones and dignitaries, including President Biden, who remembered the 39th president as a man who was “at peace with a life fully lived.”
Carter died on Dec. 29 at age 100. Biden spoke of his last visit with Carter, and said he had a “good life, a purpose and meaning of character driven by the power of faith, hope and love.”
The late president’s grandson, Jason Carter, recounted fond memories of his grandfather, who he called “Pawpaw,” and elicited laughter from the crowd. He joked that based on Carter’s push for clean energy and the decriminalization of marijuana, his grandfather “was the first millennial.”
Former Presidents Bill Clinton, George W. Bush and Barack Obama, along with President-elect Donald Trump, were in attendance at the service in Washington, D.C. All five living presidents sat together in the church.
Eulogies written by former President Gerald Ford, who died in 2006, and Walter Mondale, Carter’s vice president who died in 2021, were read by their children.
Biden declared Thursday a national day of mourning for Carter. All federal offices and buildings, the U.S. Supreme Court and the New York Stock Exchange are closed, and the U.S. Postal Service suspended delivery and closed post offices in observance.
Highlights from Jimmy Carter’s service at Washington National Cathedral
Jimmy Carter’s state funeral service at the Washington National Cathedral on Thursday brought together a rare assembly of dignitaries, family and admirers to honor the late president, who President Biden described as being “at peace with a life fully lived” during his final days.
Here are some highlights:
- All five living presidents together. Biden joined President-elect Donald Trump and former Presidents Bill Clinton, George W. Bush and Barack Obama in attending the service. All of their spouses, except for former first lady Michelle Obama, who had a scheduling conflict, were in attendance.
- A Trump and Pence reunion. Trump and his former vice president, Mike Pence, reunited in person for the first time in four years.
- His grandson’s heartfelt tribute: Carter’s grandson Jason shared personal anecdotes about his “Pawpaw,” including memories of him answering the door wearing short-shorts with Crocs and his home filled with fishing trophies. He also praised Carter as a “climate warrior” who, as president, pushed for clean energy and the decriminalization of marijuana — joking he was “the first millennial.”
- Late President Gerald Ford’s eulogy read: Ford and Carter, who ran against each other in the 1976 presidential election, agreed to deliver eulogies at one another’s funerals. Ford’s son Steven read the eulogy and told Carter’s children, “God did a good thing when he made your dad.” He added of Carter’s integrity: “Honesty and truth telling were synonymous with the name Jimmy Carter.”
- Tributes from close friends: Other speakers included Stuart Eizenstat, Carter’s domestic policy adviser, who highlighted his policy achievements and leadership, and Ted Mondale, the son of Carter’s vice president, Walter Mondale, who also read his late father’s eulogy.
- Garth Brooks and Tricia Yearwood perform “Imagine”: The country music duo performed a duet of John Lennon’s iconic song, which they also performed at the 2023 funeral of former first lady Rosalynn Carter in Atlanta.
- World leaders pay their respects: Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, Britain’s Prince Edward and Martín Torrijos, the former president of Panama, attended the service.
Credit: Yahoo News