The body of former U.S. President Jimmy Carter arrived at the Capitol on Tuesday in a solemn military ceremony as the nation prepares to bid farewell to the 39th president.
Jimmy Carter, who passed away on December 29, 2024, at the age of 100, will lie in state in the Capitol Rotunda until his funeral on Thursday.
The flag-draped casket was carried in a procession down Pennsylvania Avenue after being flown from Georgia aboard a U.S. Air Force jet.
Military pallbearers escorted the casket into the Rotunda, where a brief service was held, attended by Jimmy Carter’s family, congressional leaders, and dignitaries, including Vice President Kamala Harris and Chief Justice John Roberts.
Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, paying his respects, remarked on X, “On behalf of the Department of Defense, we celebrate this extraordinary life, legacy, and service to our nation.”
Carter, who served as president from 1977 to 1981, is remembered for his humanitarian efforts post-presidency, earning him the Nobel Peace Prize in 2002. He is the 13th U.S. president to lie in state at the Capitol, a tradition that began with Abraham Lincoln in 1865.
A national funeral service will be held at the National Cathedral in Washington on Thursday, where President Joe Biden is set to deliver a eulogy.
All four living former presidents—Bill Clinton, George W. Bush, Barack Obama, and Donald Trump—are expected to attend. Biden has declared Thursday a national day of mourning, with federal offices closed and flags at half-staff for 30 days.
Carter will be laid to rest in his hometown of Plains, Georgia, next to his wife, Rosalynn Carter, who passed away in November 2024.
