WASHINGTON, D.C. – The nation bid farewell to former President Jimmy Carter in a state funeral at the Washington National Cathedral on Thursday, honoring his life, legacy and progressive humanitarian approach to leadership.
All five living presidents, past and present, attended to remember the 39th president. The funeral included previously written eulogies by former President Gerald Ford and Carter’s former Vice President Walter Mondale, read by their sons, Steven Ford and Ted Mondale.
President Biden, who was the first Democratic senator to endorse Carter’s bid for presidency in 1976, also gave a speech in honor of Carter.
“Throughout his life, he showed us what it means to be a practitioner of good works, a good and faithful servant of God and people today,” he said. “Many think he was from a bygone era, but in reality, he saw well into the future.”
Grandsons Joshua, Jason and James Carter spoke at the service. In an emotional tribute, Jason emphasized the love his grandfather brought to the world.
“He waged peace with love and respect,” he said. “He led this nation with love and respect. For me, this life was a love story from the moment that he woke up until he laid his head.”
father brought to the world.
Carter, the longest-lived president in U.S. history, died on Dec. 29 at the age of 100. His work of making global public health and humanitarian rights central to his agenda drew praise and admiration from people of all political angles. His death marked the end of an era, as the country now prepares for the Trump administration’s re-enter to the White House on Jan. 20.
Outside of the cathedral, through the sound of church bells, the beat of drums and brisk winds, onlookers remembered Carter for his love of the people.
Thi Le, a Washington resident, stepped out onto his porch to watch the funeral procession despite the biting cold.
“I was impressed by his relatively young age in the presidency, and then his accomplishments after his presidency,” Le said.
“I just turned 42, so I’m kind of comparing, what have I done with myself to this point?” Le said. “He was president in his 50s and obviously accomplished quite a bit. That was just the halfway point for him through his life.”
Hsin-Fu Wu traveled from Tucson, Arizona, for the funeral. He recounted how Carter had stopped to speak with him on the submarine named after the president in the early 2000s. Carter’s legacy is grounded in “his persistence in bringing peace and to live in integrity despite the opposition of the politics,” Wu said.
He proudly wore a navy blue baseball cap with “USS Jimmy Carter” embroidered across the front.
Nancy Edson shared her admiration for Carter’s dedication, praising his post-presidency efforts to combat diseases and his work with Habitat for Humanity.
Standing in the cold to witness the funeral procession, Edson told Capital News Service it was “the least she could do for everything that he and his family did in the world.”
“[I] hope that some of it can rub off on me, and I can do more to help the world in my own way,” Edson said. “I don’t think I can do as much as he did, but you gotta start somewhere.”
Members of the Maryland General Assembly also paid tribute to the late president.
“His presidency may have been marked by significant challenges, rising energy costs, inflation and international crises, but Carter consistently approached these issues with honesty, humility … and a deep commitment to doing what was right, not just what was politically convenient,” said Sen. Benjamin Brooks Sr., a Democrat representing Baltimore County, speaking to the Maryland Senate on Thursday.
House Speaker Adrienne Jones, a Democrat from Baltimore County, reflected on how Carter’s policies shaped her life on the House floor in advance of the funeral.
“During his administration, he greatly expanded a federal program called the Comprehensive Employee and Training Act,” Jones said. “Thanks to him, I got my first job in public service. I had just graduated from UMBC and didn’t know what my next step would be, but CETA was the answer.”
Jones also praised Carter for demonstrating how government programs can empower individuals and communities.
“When I think about public service, I think of the late President Jimmy Carter,” she said.
The state funeral follows a weeklong series of tributes in Carter’s home state of Georgia. On Tuesday, his body was transported to the nation’s capital for the state funeral.
His family plans to lay him to rest this week in his hometown of Plains, alongside his wife, Rosalynn.