Jimmy Carter funeral live updates: Biden says late president was 'at peace with a life fully lived'

The late president will be buried alongside his wife, Rosalynn, in Plains, Ga., this evening.

Haiyun Jiang/Pool via Getty Images
A service for former President Jimmy Carter was held at the Washington National Cathedral on Thursday. (Haiyun Jiang/Pool via Getty Images)

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.

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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.

LIVE COVERAGE IS OVER28 updates
  • Featured

    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.

  • Scenes from the state funeral of Jimmy Carter

    Photographers from various news services captured striking images of Jimmy Carter's state funeral at Washington National Cathedral from all sorts of unique vantage points.

    See the full gallery.

    Several hundred people seated along an aisle seen through a clover-shaped aperture.
    The remains of former President Jimmy Carter arrive at the Washington National Cathedral in Washington, D.C., for a state funeral service on Thursday. (Haiyun Jiang/Pool via AFP via Getty Images)
    Several dozen people, including former presidents, stand with hands on their hearts near flag-draped coffin.
    The remains of Carter at the Washington National Cathedral, Thursday. (Mandel Ngan/AFP via Getty Images)
    8 people in uniform salute.
    Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. C.Q. Brown, center, salutes the flag-draped casket of Carter at Washington National Cathedral, Thursday. (Mark Schiefelbein/AP)
    President Biden touches Carter's flag-draped casket.
    President Biden touches the casket after delivering remarks at Carter's funeral at National Cathedral, Thursday. (Haiyun Jiang/Pool via Getty Images)
    A person stands near a flag-draped casket in the rear of a hearse.
    A person stands near the casket of Carter as it leaves the National Cathedral, Thursday. (Nathan Howard/Reuters)
  • Jimmy Carter's state funeral concludes — here's what happens next

    The state funeral has concluded. Up next: Carter's family will accompany the casket to Joint Base Andrews to fly to Georgia for a private service at Maranatha Baptist Church in Plains later Thursday afternoon.

    According to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, that event — which was originally scheduled to begin at 3:45 p.m. local time — has been pushed back to 5 p.m. ET.

    Carter will then be buried alongside his wife, Rosalynn, at their home in Plains.

  • Garth Brooks and Trisha Yearwood perform 'Imagine'

    Near the close of the ceremony, Garth Brooks and Trisha Yearwood performed a duet, singing John Lennon's "Imagine."

    The duo also performed at the 2023 funeral service for former first lady Rosalynn Carter in Atlanta.

  • Biden says Carter's character was driven by 'faith, hope and love'

    President Biden concluded his eulogy with a reflection on Jimmy Carter's enduring character, both as a leader and as a private citizen.

    "Throughout his life, he showed what it means to be a practitioner of good works," said Biden, noting that Carter also helped establish a "model post-presidency by making a powerful difference as a private citizen in America."

    Biden also shared a memory from his and first lady Jill Biden’s final visit with Carter, describing the former president as "at peace with a life fully lived, a good life, a purpose and meaning of character driven by the power of faith, hope and love."

    “To make every minute of our time here on earth count, that’s the definition of a good life," he said. "A life Jimmy Carter lived during his 100 years."

  • Biden eulogizes Carter

    President Biden delivers the eulogy at the state funeral service for former President Jimmy Carter at the Washington National Cathedral in Washington, D.C., on Thursday.
    President Biden delivers the eulogy at the state funeral service for former President Jimmy Carter at the Washington National Cathedral in Washington, D.C. (Mandel Ngan/AFP via Getty Images)

    President Biden took to the lectern to deliver his tribute, beginning with a personal reflection on his long-standing connection to the late President Jimmy Carter.

    Noting that he was the first Democratic senator to endorse Carter’s 1976 presidential campaign, Biden spoke warmly of their bond, saying, “His friendship taught me the strength of character.”

  • Jimmy Carter's grandson recalls his 'Pawpaw' in charismatic eulogy

    Jason Carter, grandson of former President Jimmy Carter.
    Jason Carter, grandson of former President Jimmy Carter, at the service for his grandfather. (Elizabeth Frantz/Reuters)

    Jason Carter, another one of Jimmy Carter's grandsons, remembered his grandfather, who he called Pawpaw, not as a former president but as an average grandparent, relating funny anecdotes to laughter from the guests.

    Jason said his grandfather would answer the door wearing short-shorts with Crocs, his home filled with fishing trophies on shelves and a kitchen featuring a phone on the wall with a cord "like a museum piece" and a rack for hanging ziplock bags to dry.

    Eventually he did get a cellphone, and Jason recalled receiving a call from his grandfather's mobile shortly thereafter.

    Jason picked up the phone and said, "Hi, Pawpaw." His grandfather asked, "Who is this?"

    "This is Jason," his grandson replied. "You called me!"

    "I didn't call you," Carter said. "I'm taking a picture."

    Jason also remembered his grandfather as a "climate warrior" who as president pushed for clean energy, wanted to decriminalize marijuana, and deregulated so many industries that he gave America "cheap flights" and craft beer.

    "Basically all of those years ago, he was the first millennial," Jason said.

  • Carter's domestic policy adviser says late president made 'the U.S. stronger and the world safer'

    Stuart Eizenstat, who served as Carter’s domestic policy adviser, honored the late president's legacy during his remarks at the funeral.

    Eizenstat highlighted Carter's achievements, calling him "the great deregulator" and emphasizing that he was "the first president to make human rights a priority for U.S. foreign policy."

    Reflecting on Carter's impact, he added, "He may not be a candidate for Mount Rushmore, but he belongs in the foothills of making the U.S. stronger and the world safer."

  • Former first lady Michelle Obama unable to attend service due to scheduling conflicts

    A spokesperson for Michelle Obama said the former first lady was unable to attend President Jimmy Carter’s service today, citing scheduling conflicts, according to the New York Times.

    In a joint statement shared on Dec. 29, the Obamas paid their respects to Carter.

    "President Carter taught all of us what it means to live a life of grace, dignity, justice, and service," they wrote. "Michelle and I send our thoughts and prayers to the Carter family, and everyone who loved and learned from this remarkable man."

  • Walter Mondale's eulogy for Carter: 'We told the truth, we obeyed the law, and we kept the peace'

    Ted Mondale standing at a podium before several dozen people.
    Ted Mondale, son of the late former Vice President Walter Mondale, shares a tribute written by his father, during the state funeral for former President Jimmy Carter. (Ben Curtis/AP)

    Ted Mondale, son of Vice President Walter Mondale, read the eulogy his father wrote for Jimmy Carter in 2015.

    Walter Mondale, Carter's vice president, died in 2021.

    In the eulogy, Mondale wrote that toward the end of their lone term in office, he and Carter talked about how they wanted to be remembered.

    “We came up with this sentence, which to me remains an important summary of what we were trying to do: ‘We told the truth, we obeyed the law, and we kept the peace,’” Mondale wrote. “That we did, Mr. President.”

  • Steven Ford, son of late President Gerald Ford, eulogizes Carter

    Steve Ford stands at a podium before several dozen people.
    Steve Ford, son of the late former President Gerald Ford, speaks at the state funeral service for former President Jimmy Carter. (Roberto Schmidt/AFP via Getty Images)

    Steven Ford, the third son of the late President Gerald Ford, shared a tribute written by his father before he died in 2006.

    “God did a good thing when he made your dad,” Ford remarked to Jimmy Carter's children at the podium. While Gerald Ford and Jimmy Carter were once fierce opponents during the 1976 presidential campaign, their rivalry softened over the years into an enduring friendship. Ford and Carter promised that they would give eulogies at each other's funerals.

    Reflecting on Carter’s integrity, Ford echoed his father’s heartfelt words: “Honesty and truth-telling were synonymous with the name Jimmy Carter.”

  • Jimmy Carter's grandson remembers his grandfather's Sunday school class

    Joshua Carter, Jimmy Carter's grandson, shared how his grandfather taught a Sunday school class at Maranatha Baptist Church in Plains, Ga., where hundreds would flock to see the former president teach.

    "He loved people," Joshua Carter said, before reading a Bible passage.

  • Trump and Pence shake hands

    Mike Pence shakes hands Donald Trump.
    Former Vice President Mike Pence shakes hands with President-elect Donald Trump. (Mandel Ngan/Pool/AFP via Getty Images)

    Minutes before the funeral began, President-elect Donald Trump gave a handshake to his former Vice President Mike Pence. The two briefly exchanged words. Pence was seated next to former Vice President Al Gore.

    According to the New York Times, it's the first in-person encounter between Trump and Pence in four years.

  • All living presidents are seated

    Seated from left, President Biden, first lady Jill Biden, Vice President Kamala Harris, second gentleman Doug Emhoff, former President Bill Clinton, former first lady Hillary Clinton, former President George W. Bush, former first lady Laura Bush, former President Barack Obama, former President and President-elect Donald Trump, former first lady Melania Trump, former Vice President Al Gore, former Vice President Mike Pence and others attend the state funeral for former President Jimmy Carter.

    All five members of the so-called presidents club — President Biden, former Presidents Bill Clinton, George W. Bush and Barack Obama and President-elect Donald Trump — are now seated inside Washington National Cathedral.

  • Justin Trudeau, Prince Edward attend Carter's funeral

    Prince Edward, Duke of Edinburgh, far left, and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau watch as President-elect Donald Trump and Melania Trump take their seats.
    Prince Edward, Duke of Edinburgh, far left, and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau watch as President-elect Donald Trump and Melania Trump take their seats. (Mandel Nganm/AFP via Getty Images)

    Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, who announced earlier this week that he will resign as prime minister of Canada and as party leader, is in attendance at the funeral, seated next to Prince Edward, Duke of Edinburgh.

    Among other world leaders attending the funeral is Martín Torrijos, the former president of Panama, per the New York Times.

  • Carter's casket is carried into the National Cathedral

    Former President Jimmy Carter's casket is being carried into the National Cathedral as the funeral begins. There is total silence, all except for the tolling of a bell.

  • President Biden, first lady arrive at National Cathedral

    President Biden and Jill Biden hold hands while standing near several dozen people, who are seated.
    President Biden and first lady Jill Biden arrive for the State Funeral Service for former President Jimmy Carter on Thursday. (Mandel Ngan/AFP via Getty Images)

    President Biden and first lady Jill Biden have arrived at the National Cathedral for Carter's state funeral. Biden will deliver a eulogy at the service, which will be one of the president's last public speaking engagements before he departs the White House on Jan. 20.

  • What is a state funeral?

    State funerals usually have three stages, according to the Joint Task Force-National Capital Region, which is a military unit that oversees such ceremonies. These stages include ceremonies in the state where the former president lived, in Washington, D.C., and in the state where the former president has said they want to be buried.

    State funerals aren’t limited to former presidents. Rather, they are planned “on behalf of all persons who hold, or have held, the office of president as well as a president-elect and other persons designated by the president.”

    Read more from Yahoo News reporter Katie Mather: Jimmy Carter state funeral plans: Biden sets Jan. 9 for national day of mourning, service to be held in Washington

  • Former President Jimmy Carter's life in photos

    Jimmy Carter sits on the roof of a car on a road lined with people, some of whom reach out to him.
    President Jimmy Carter leans across the roof of his car to shake hands along the parade route through Bardstown, Ky., July 31, 1979. (Bob Daugherty/AP)

    Former President Jimmy Carter started from humble beginnings as a peanut farmer on his family’s farm just outside of his birthplace of Plains, Ga., a place that helped shape his political career and philanthropy work.

    Out of all of his accomplishments, Carter said the best thing he ever did was marry fellow Plains native Rosalynn Smith in 1946. Rosalynn Carter died on Nov. 19, 2023, shortly after entering hospice following a dementia diagnosis.

    In 2002, Carter became the third president to win the Nobel Peace Prize for his work, both during and after his presidency, in helping to resolve international conflicts, advancing social welfare and campaigning for human rights.

    Here’s a look at the former president’s life in photos from Yahoo News: Jimmy Carter dead at 100: A look back at the 39th U.S. president's legacy in photos

  • Vice President Harris pays tribute to Carter before funeral is set to begin

    Vice President Kamala Harris posted a tribute on X moments before former President Jimmy Carter's funeral was set to begin. Harris delivered a eulogy on Tuesday honoring the 39th U.S. president as he lay in state at the U.S. Capitol Rotunda.

  • Trump and Obama are seated together

    Former President Barack Obama, President-elect Donald Trump and former first lady Melania Trump await the start of the funeral. (Roberto Schmidt/AFP via Getty Images)
    Former President Barack Obama, President-elect Donald Trump and former first lady Melania Trump await the start of the funeral. (Roberto Schmidt/AFP via Getty Images)

    Dignitaries have begun to file into Washington National Cathedral, including former President Barack Obama and President-elect Donald Trump, who are seated together and are chatting.

    Former Presidents George W. Bush and Bill Clinton have also arrived.

  • Carter’s post-presidency life

    Former President Jimmy Carter in 2007.
    Former President Jimmy Carter in 2007. (Carolyn Kaster/AP)

    In 1982, one year after Jimmy Carter left the White House, he and his wife, Rosalynn, founded the Carter Presidential Center, at Emory University in Atlanta. The purpose of the nonpartisan, not-for-profit center is to “wage peace, fight disease and build hope” in nations around the world.

    The center has led the international campaign to eradicate Guinea worm disease, establish health care systems in communities across Africa, promote fair elections in 40 countries and help further peace efforts and strengthen standards for international human rights.

    Carter was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2002, the 20th anniversary of the center’s founding, “for his decades of untiring effort to find peaceful solutions to international conflicts, to advance democracy and human rights, and to promote economic and social development.”

    For more than three decades, the former president and former first lady were also dedicated advocates and hands-on construction volunteers for Habitat for Humanity, a nonprofit that helps people in need renovate and build homes for themselves.

  • Funeral procession arrives at the National Cathedral

    The remains of US President Jimmy Carter arrive for a State Funeral Service at the Washington National Cathedral in Washington, DC, on January 9, 2025. (Photo by Ting Shen / AFP) (Photo by TING SHEN/AFP via Getty Images)
    The remains of President Jimmy Carter arrive for a State Funeral Service at the Washington National Cathedral in Washington, D.C. on Thursday. (Ting Shen/AFP)

    Former President Jimmy Carter's funeral procession has arrived at the Washington National Cathedral, where the state funeral is set to begin momentarily.

  • Carter's funeral procession on its way to Washington National Cathedral

    Former President Jimmy Carter's funeral procession has left the U.S. Capitol, where he had lain in state this week. Next is the Washington National Cathedral for a state funeral that begins at 10 a.m. ET.

  • All 5 living presidents to attend funeral

    Presidents, vice presidents, first ladies and second ladies current and former attend the state funeral for former President George H.W. Bush at Washington National Cathedral, Dec. 5, 2018. (Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)
    Presidents, vice presidents, first ladies and second ladies current and former attend the state funeral for former President George H.W. Bush at Washington National Cathedral, Dec. 5, 2018. (Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)

    All five members of the so-called presidents club — current and former commanders in chief — are set to attend Jimmy Carter's funeral.

    President Biden, former Presidents Bill Clinton, George W. Bush and Barack Obama and President-elect Donald Trump are expected to arrive shortly at Washington National Cathedral.

    The last time all living presidents were in the same room together was in 2018, also at Washington National Cathedral, for the state funeral of former President George H. W. Bush. Biden, who will deliver a eulogy for Carter, was also in attendance, though he sat in the second row alongside then current and former vice presidents, including Mike Pence, Dan Quayle, Dick Cheney and Al Gore.

  • Carter’s troubled presidency

    Former President Jimmy Carter is photographed at the Carter Center in Atlanta, Sept. 14, 2011. (David Hume Kennerly/Getty Images)
    Former President Jimmy Carter is photographed at the Carter Center in Atlanta, Sept. 14, 2011. (David Hume Kennerly/Getty Images)

    Jimmy Carter served a single term as the 39th U.S. president, which was widely considered to be unsuccessful. A host of major economic problems plagued Americans in the late 1970s and Carter couldn’t tame an increase in gas prices, inflation or rising unemployment.

    Carter’s administration was also unable to free 52 Americans who were taken hostage in Iran in late 1979 and held captive for more than a year. But during the final weeks of his presidency, an agreement hammered out by Carter and his administration ultimately led to their freedom. Ronald Reagan is commonly given credit, but had little to do with the release of the Americans in Tehran since the Iranians let them go moments after Reagan was inaugurated.

    Read more from Yahoo News: The brilliant life and troubled presidency of Jimmy Carter

  • What to expect today

    Here’s a quick schedule of the events surrounding former President Jimmy Carter’s state funeral:

    • 9 a.m. ET: Carter's casket will leave the Capitol, where he has been lying in state since Tuesday, and head to Washington National Cathedral in a funeral procession.

    • 10 a.m. ET: Carter's state funeral at Washington National Cathedral will begin. President Biden is among those who will deliver a eulogy at the service, which is expected to last a little over an hour.

    • 11:15 a.m. ET: After the state funeral ends, Carter's family will accompany the casket to Joint Base Andrews to fly to Georgia.

    • 3:45 p.m. ET: Carter's motorcade will arrive at Maranatha Baptist Church in Plains, Ga., for a private service.

    • 5:20 p.m. ET: Carter will be buried alongside his wife, Rosalynn, at their home in Plains.

  • What is a National Day of Mourning and how will you be impacted?

    The flag-draped casket of former President Jimmy Carter is transferred to a horse-drawn carriage at the U.S. Navy Memorial before traveling to the Capitol Washington, D.C., on Jan. 7. (Mark Schiefelbein-Pool/Getty Images)
    The flag-draped casket of former President Jimmy Carter is transferred to a horse-drawn carriage at the U.S. Navy Memorial before traveling to the Capitol Washington, D.C., on Jan. 7. (Mark Schiefelbein-Pool/Getty Images)

    President Biden declared Jan. 9, 2025 as a National Day of Mourning in honor of the late President Jimmy Carter to give people the time and space to pay their respects to the longest living American president.

    Flags at every government building across the U.S. are flown at half-staff for 30 days following the death of a former president, which means they will remain at half-staff for Carter until Jan. 28.

    All executive departments and agencies within the federal government will also be closed on Thursday, and all federal employees will be given a paid day off.

    The New York Stock Exchange and NASDAQ will close U.S. markets.

    All U.S. Postal Service post offices will be closed and regular mail won’t be delivered, with the exception of “limited package delivery service.”

    The National Park Service website says the National parks and visitor services will generally be open on Jan. 9, while the administrative offices will be closed. The agency recommends checking the individual park website before visiting for the most accurate information.

    Banks and other businesses aren’t required to close, but it’s a good idea to call ahead or check online just in case.