Topline
Former President Jimmy Carter’s state funeral—including a eulogy by President Joe Biden—will take place on Jan. 9 in Washington, D.C., less than two weeks before President-elect Donald Trump takes office, with other arrangements set to take place in Washington and his home state of Georgia.
Former President Jimmy Carter died Sunday at age 100. (Photo by Paul Hennessy/NurPhoto via Getty … [+]
Key Facts
Atlanta’s Carter Presidential Center will hold a service for the former president—who died Sunday at age 100 in Plains, Georgia—on the afternoon of Saturday, Jan. 4, and Carter will lie in repose there until Jan. 7, according to the military’s Joint Task Force-National Capital Region, which is organizing the events (before arriving in Atlanta, he will also stop at his boyhood home in Plains and the Georgia State Capitol on Saturday).
He and his family will then travel to Washington, D.C., on Jan. 7, and will take part in a funeral procession from the U.S. Navy Memorial to the U.S. Capitol, where Carter will lie in state for two days, with a service for members of Congress slated for the 7th.
Carter’s state funeral will take place at Washington National Cathedral at 10 a.m. on Thursday, Jan. 9, which Biden also declared to be a National Day of Mourning.
Jason Carter, the former president’s grandson and chairman of the Carter Center, will also speak, and eulogies written by the late former President Gerald Ford and former Vice President Walter Mondale will be read by their sons, according to The New York Times.
Carter will be buried on Jan. 9 in Plains, Georgia, next to his late wife, Rosalynn Carter, who died at age 96 last year.
What Is A State Funeral?
State funerals are typically week-long events held to honor current or former presidents who have died, consisting of services held in the president’s home state, in Washington, D.C., and in the location they chose to be buried. Deaths of former presidents are announced by the sitting president by proclamation, who then directs the Department of Defense to conduct the state funeral. Ceremonies held as part of the state funeral may include participation from military bands, honor guards and National Guard and U.S. Armed Forces Reserve units.
Are The Events Open To The Public?
Public viewings will take place for several days at the Carter Presidential Center in Atlanta and at the U.S. Capitol, according to Joint Task Force-National Capital Region. The public can also line the funeral procession route in Washington on the afternoon of Jan. 7, and can view his motorcade in Georgia or the nation’s capital, the military said.
Will Trump And Other Former Presidents Attend The Funeral?
It’s not clear which former presidents will travel to Carter’s funeral next week, though ex-presidents and other politicians are typically in attendance at state funerals. Trump, who has written multiple Truth Social posts in remembrance of Carter since his death, has not said whether or not he will attend. All living former presidents attended the last presidential funeral for former President George H.W. Bush in 2018. Trump and former presidents George W. Bush and Barack Obama did not attend Rosalynn Carter’s funeral, but former first ladies Melania Trump, Laura Bush and Michelle Obama attended.
When Will Flags Remain At Half-Staff?
Biden ordered flags at federal and military buildings to fly at half-staff for the next 30 days—meaning the flags will be half-staff during Trump’s inauguration on Jan. 20.
Will The Stock Exchange Close?
The New York Stock Exchange will close Jan. 9 in observance of the National Day of Mourning. The stock exchange traditionally closes to observe the death of a former president, which it did in 2018 to honor George H.W. Bush.
What Else Is Closed On Jan. 9?
All federal agencies and executive departments will be closed on Jan. 9, Biden announced Monday, though some may remain open for national security or other public needs.
News Peg
Carter died on Sunday as the oldest former president in history. Carter died two months after his 100th birthday, the first and only former president to become a centenarian. His death sparked an outpouring of tributes, including from Biden, who called him “a man of character, courage, and compassion, whose lifetime of service defined him as one of the most influential statesmen in our history.” Trump, in a statement on Truth Social, said he “strongly disagreed with him philosophically and politically” but acknowledged Carter “truly loved and respected our Country,” offering condolences to his family.
Further Reading
Former President Jimmy Carter Dies At 100 (Forbes)
Carter Funeral Service to Be Held at Washington National Cathedral on Jan. 9 (New York Times)
