FINAL GOODBYE
Biden gets emotional in Jimmy Carter funeral speech as grandson Jason praises 39th prez as nation’s ‘first Millennial’
All five living presidents showed a moment of solidarity as they paid respect to Jimmy Carter
THE casket of late President Jimmy Carter has departed the Washington National Cathedral and will be transported to its final resting place.
President Joe Biden and 's grandson, Jason Carter, delivered the final tributes, praising the 39th president's character and his respect for others.
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President Biden, who Carter asked before his death to deliver a eulogy at his funeral, said his friendship with the late president taught him "strength of character."
He and First Lady Jill Biden celebrated his 100th day in office by visiting Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter at their Plains, , estate in April 2021.
Biden, a 31-year-old senator from Delaware at the time, endorsed Carter's 1976 presidential candidacy.
"It was an endorsement based on what I believed is Jimmy Carter's enduring attribute, character, character, character.
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"Because of that, character, I believe, is destiny. Destiny in our lives, and quite frankly, destiny in the life of the nation.
"It's an accumulation of a million things built on character that leads to a good life and a decent country.
"Life of purpose, life of meaning. Now, how do we find that good life? What does it look like? What does it take to build character? Do the ends justify the means?"
Biden continued, "Jimmy Carter's friendship taught me, and through his life, taught me, the strength of character is more than title or the power we hold.
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"It's the strength to understand that everyone should be treated with dignity, respect. That everyone, and I mean everyone, deserves an even shot.
"Today, many think he was from a bygone era, but in reality, he saw well into the future."
LIVE: All 5 living US presidents gather for Jimmy Carter's state funeral in Washington DC
The president ended his eulogy by asking the youth to "study the power of Jimmy Carter's example.
"I miss him, but I take solace knowing that he and his beloved wife Rosalynn are reunited again."
Former President Carter will be buried at his Plains estate next to his wife, Rosalynn, who died after a battle with dementia on November 19, 2023, at age 96.
'PAW-PAW AND MOM'
Jason Carter praised the presidents, vice presidents, first ladies, and guests for attending his grandfather's funeral.
"I say grandfather, but we call him Paw-paw, as many of you know. We call my grandmother Mom Carter, so we spent our time talking about Mom and Paw-paw and mostly speaking of the human side of the presidency, just letting people know that they were regular folks," Jason said.
Carter's grandson branded the former president a climate warrior "who pushed for a world where we conserved energy, limited emissions."
For Jimmy Carter, honesty was not an aspirational goal, it was part of his very soul.
Former President Gerald Ford
"Basically, all of those years ago, he was the first millennial," Jason added.
"My grandfather was likely to show up at the door in some '70s short-shorts and some Crocs.
"And then you'd walk in the house, and it was like thousands of other grandparents' house all across the South, fishing trophies on the walls.
"The refrigerator, of course, was papered with pictures of grandchildren and then great-grandchildren.
"Their main phone, of course, had a cord and was stuck to the wall in the kitchen, like a museum piece.
"And demonstrating their depression era roots, they had a little rack next to the sink where they would hang Ziploc bags to dry."
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ALL THE PRESIDENT'S MEN
The first two rows of the funeral service were the center of attention as the five presidents - , , , , and - were all seated together.
Trump and his wife, , were the first to emerge at the memorial service as cameras captured the moment the president-elect shared a cold handshake with his former vice president, .
Pence and Trump had a fallout after the former vice president refused to overturn the results of the 2020 election on January 6, 2021.
Former President Obama sat next to Trump and was pictured talking and laughing with the president-elect almost nonstop before the funeral began.
All former and current First Ladies, Laura Bush, Melania Trump, , and , as well as Second Gentleman Doug Emhoff, were present for Carter's funeral.
Missing in attendance was former First Lady , who CNN reported was still on an extended vacation in Hawaii.
Obama sat between Trump and former First Lady Laura, who was seated beside her husband, former President George W. Bush.
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GOODBYE, JIMMY
, the 39th and longest-living president of the United States, died on December 29 at the age of 100, surrounded by his loved ones after nearly two years in hospice care.
The former president's flag-draped casket arrived at the Washington National Cathedral at around 10:30 am.
Steven Ford, the third son of former President Gerald Ford, was the second to take the podium after Carter's grandson, Joshua, shared stories of the late president.
Steven read a tribute to Carter that his father had written before his death in 2006.
Carter and Ford were bitter rivals in the days leading up to the 1976 presidential election.
However, the two became close friends later in life after learning they shared many things in common despite being on opposite parties.
The former presidents made a pact over the phone years ago to speak at each other's funerals, Steven said.
"After that call, as you can imagine, both of them got off the phone and had a pretty good chuckle," he said, adding, "It's an honor to share dad's eulogy to his old friend."
'WELCOME HOME, OLD FRIEND'
"During my 1976 contest, Jimmy knew my political vulnerabilities, and he successfully pointed them out," President Ford's letter read.
"Now, I didn't like it, but little did I know that the outcome of that 1976 election would bring about one of my deepest and most enduring friendships.
"We immediately decided to exercise one of the privileges of a former president, forgetting that either one of us had ever said any harsh words about the other one in the heat of battle.
"For Jimmy Carter, honesty was not an aspirational goal, it was part of his very soul."
Former President Ford penned how the two men had experienced the "harsh reality" of defeat at the polls.
"But we also came to know a more important consequence," the letter continued.
"Political defeat and writing can also be liberating if it frees you to discuss topics that aren't necessarily consistent with short-term political popularity."
Ford ended his personal letter with a touching tribute to his dear friend, "As for myself, Jimmy, I'm looking forward to our reunion.
"We have much to catch up on. Thank you, Mr. President. Welcome home, old friend."
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Ted Mondale, the son of Carter's late Vice President Walter Mondale, also read a written letter from his father, who died in 2021.
"I was surprised when then-candidate Carter asked me to join him as his running mate in 1976," the former vice president wrote in the letter, which he penned in 2015.
"He amazed me then as he has every year since. He of course of brilliant, he also had a great sense of humor.
"And while we had only four years in the White House, he achieved so much in that time.
"It stood as a marker for Americans dedicated to justice and decency."
Mondale said he and Carter grew close while "working on real problems."
"Carter was farsighted. He put aside his short-term political interests to tackle challenges that demanded sacrifice, to protect our kids and grandkids from future harm," the former vice president added.
RING OF STEEL
Security measures in Washington DC were intense in the days leading up to Carter's funeral, as the world's most prominent names and former presidents were expected to gather to pay their respects.
Carter's funeral was dubbed the "perfect target for terrorists," especially following two deadly New Year's Day attacks, mounting pressure on security chiefs to secure the event's perimeter.
It's expected that a ring of steel with protective fences, armed security guards, bulletproof vests, and snipers will be deployed in what has been dubbed a "military operation."
Drones will also be in use, with special agent in charge of the Secret Service's Washington field office Matt McCool urging the public not to be alarmed if one is encountered.
As the funeral is a National Special Security Event, it is also safe to assume metal detectors and bomb sweeps will be in use to further bolster security.
The state's metropolitan police listed prohibited items for the event, including backpacks and bags exceeding size restrictions, drones, laser pointers, and selfie sticks.
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Washington National Cathedral Chief Public Affairs Officer Kevin Eckstrom stressed that, despite there being various moving pieces for such an event, it is expected to be carried out seamlessly.
He told "A state funeral here at the National Cathedral makes everything else look [very easy].
"This is an incredibly complex operation. The thing is it is a private family funeral, it is an event of the state, it is a military operation, it is a global media event, and it's a church service - all of those things all at once."
The chief compared it to a "puzzle upside-down and backward" but reassured that such events have been done "a few times" - so they know how to handle it.
The Washington National Cathedral can seat 3,300 people - typically only reaching capacity for presidential funerals like today.
A first funeral service was held for the Democrat in Atlanta on Saturday at the Carter Presidential Center - attracting hundreds of members of the mourning public who paid their respects.
A motorcade also drove through Carter's small hometown of Plains, stopping by his childhood home before proceeding to Atlanta via the state capitol for a public service at the Carter Center.
On Tuesday, former President Carter's coffin was flown to the Washington DC area, and Carter was transferred from a hearse to a horse-drawn caisson.
And today, a solemn funeral service begins at the Washington National Cathedral.
Carter is having a state funeral - a national remembrance occasion marking the life of Americans who made impact contributions to the public.
The last president to receive a state funeral was George H.W. Bush in 2018.
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After the ceremonies, Carter will be moved one final time back to Georgia, where there will be a private funeral service in his hometown.
This is followed by a private burial at the Carter residence in the evening.
The US federal government is closed today for a national day of mourning, which Biden said in an executive order.
Financial markets are even shut today, too, including the New York Stock Exchange.
US flags across the country are flying at half-mast on all federal buildings and will do so for 30 days.
As fears of a terror attack on the event loom, International security specialist Will Geddes told The Sun that American officials "cannot afford" to allow for another strike at the event, which will have the world's attention.
"In the wake of the two specific incidents that took place on New Year's Day, it does not come as a huge surprise to the security community," Geddes said.
"But the significance of it plays havoc certainly in terms of any major events that are going to be taking place in the United States for the foreseeable future, and especially the State funeral for President Jimmy Carter.
"One of the greatest concerns will be that there will be heads of state from various countries from across the world in attendance.
"The US will very much be on the world stage right now, and Al Qaeda and Islamic State know this.
"They also know anything they undertake in the lead up to this funeral, and even perhaps on the day itself, will garnish and gain the world's attention.
"A globally impactful funeral, by pure simplicity, means it is going to always be an attractive and viable prospect for a terrorist attack."
PRESIDENT CARTER
Carter served in from 1977 to 1981.
Before his presidency, he served as a Georgia State Senator from 1963 to 1967 and as the 76th governor of Georgia from 1971 to 1975.
Carter was considered a longshot for the presidency when he announced his presidential campaign in December 1974.
As a dark-horse candidate, Carter was not well-known outside of the home state of Georgia.
However, Carter's two-year campaign trail paid off when he won the nomination and narrowly defeated incumbent president Gerald Ford during the 1976 presidential election.
Carter, who entered office in January 1977, took over a nation that was still reeling from the events of the Vietnam War, where approximately 59,000 US troops died on the frontlines.
Two days after being sworn in as president, Carter famously pardoned all the draft evaders from the Vietnam War.
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But, his presidency was marred by rising energy costs, mounting inflation, and continuing tensions with foreign adversaries, including the threat of nuclear war with the Soviet Union.
Carter's hopes for reelection eventually crumbled due to the hostage crisis.
On November 4, 1979, a group of militarized Iranian college students stormed the US Embassy in Tehran and took 52 American diplomats and citizens hostage.
The American public turned on Carter for his soft approach to the crisis, which lasted 444 days.
The hostage crisis paralyzed his presidency and hampered his efforts at a second term.
Carter would eventually lose the 1980 presidential election in a landslide to Republican presidential candidate Ronald Reagan.
LIFE AFTER THE WHITE HOUSE
After leaving the Oval Office, Carter devoted his life to diplomacy and .
He founded the Carter Center in 1982, an organization with a fundamental and the alleviation of human suffering, according to their website.
The non-profit has worked to improve the quality of life for people in countries all over the world.
In 2002, Jimmy Carter won the Nobel Peace Prize for his work seeking peaceful resolutions to global conflicts, advancing human rights and democracy, and promoting economic and social development.
The Carter Center also committed resources to ensuring free and fair elections and monitored the 2020 elections in the .
Carter had mostly retired from the public eye in recent years, particularly in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic and a diagnosis in 2015.
In December 2015, Carter was declared cancer-free just months after being diagnosed with the illness.
While Carter lived a more private life in his latter years, he was vocal in his opposition to certain political moves of the presidents who followed him.
He disagreed with Reagan’s handling of peace in the Middle East and was opposed to the Iraq War under George W. Bush.
Carter criticized the Trump administration but also disagreed with his fellow president, Barack Obama, regarding the use of drone strikes against suspected terrorists.
On his , the former president was honored with a parade of golf carts and other vehicles by local residents, which he and his wife observed from their residence while wearing masks due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
During the 2020 presidential election, Carter endorsed Joe Biden at the Democratic National Convention and said via video, "Joe Biden was my first and most effective supporter in the Senate … For decades, he’s been my loyal and dedicated friend."
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To mark his first 100 days in office, President Biden and First Lady visited Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter at their home in Plains, Georgia.
"We sat and talked about the old days," Biden told reporters afterward.
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