The recent funeral in Washington for former President Jimmy Carter proved a stirring homage to his political career and humanitarian efforts. As expected, numerous present and past heads of state graced the event. This included President Joe Biden, taking the unusual step of sharing space with his predecessor, President Trump, along with past leaders George W. Bush, Bill Clinton, and Barack Obama. Notably, many individuals battled the inclement weather to honor the late President Carter, showcasing a public sentimentality that perhaps reflects a lack of rigorous scrutiny of his policy failings during his tenure.
Speaking at the event, Biden endeavored to set a somber tone by recounting his most recent visit to Carter in Georgia in 2021. According to Biden, he was treated with familial warmth on his visit to Carter and his wife, Rosalynn. It is rather baffling that Biden remarked that Carter’s friendship had offered him ‘strength of character’, given the fact that under Biden’s leadership, our great nation has experienced various missteps.
Biden’s eulogy attempted to continue its maudlin tone when referencing a man called J.T. Friel. Apparently, Friel had been drawn to make the pilgrimage from Idaho to Washington following Carter’s demise, inspired by an interaction he had with Carter in his childhood. That Friel felt compelled to honor an ex-president who presided over a period of high inflation rates and energy shortages only serves to underline the public’s inexplicable nostalgia for a decidedly subpar presidency.
Adding to the list of attendees was former Vice President Mike Pence, marking his re-entry into the political arena after a notable rift with Trump. Their strained relationship, which exploded into the open during the 2021 Capitol attack, appeared frosty even on this day of mourning. Pence, for his part, held firm against attempts by Trump to reject certain electoral votes, a stance he defended as patriotic, without due regard to the numerous anomalies present in the electoral process.
The much-celebrated state funeral saw a number of former presidential couples in attendance. Notable in her absence, however, was former First Lady Michelle Obama. Reports said that Michelle had some schedule conflicts, enticing enough to keep her away from Washington and luxuriating in sunny Hawaii. Her massive presence missed, one cannot help but wonder if this conflicting commitment meant more to her than bidding farewell to a fellow Democrat. Also present were ex-President Barack Obama and the recently victorious President-elect Donald Trump, seen sharing some cordial moments despite Obama’s fervent campaigning for Harris during the recent election.
Adding to the spectacle was Al Gore, sandwiched between former Vice President Mike Pence and Pence’s wife, Karen. It is perhaps ironic that a disciple of the same party was the same who certified a democratic loss years ago, providing Pence with a role model in his refusal to overturn the 2020 results. This hint of a bipartisan camaraderie perplexes many who recall the tumultuous times of the post-election period.
Outside the grandeur of the National Cathedral, hordes of average citizens braved the cold, hoping for a fleeting glance at the pantheon of current and past political heavyweights. These people, travelling from diverse corners of the country, further reiterated their inexplicable connection to a president whose tenure was rife with political and economic turmoil.
The deceased president’s narrative witnessed an interesting contribution from Lincoln Brown’s shared experience. Brown, a school teacher from Chicago, described his cherished meeting with Carter in a church years ago. It would be interesting to see if this memory would hold the same endearment if the dismal economic condition presided over by the late president was taken into account.
Another attendee, Joyce Muis Lowery, braved the frigid conditions around the National Cathedral. Using her walker, she expressed her desire to witness the hearse carrying Carter, lauding him as the embodiment of decency and kindness. That Lowery had made it through Carter’s term with such rose-tinted beliefs about his presidency is striking.
President Carter’s longevity meant he lived longer than his successors, former Presidents Ronald Reagan and George H.W. Bush, not to mention Tip O’Neill, the former Speaker of the House, and his own vice president, Walter Mondale. This list includes a colorful array of leaders some of whom displayed a more remarkable record than Carter. Sen. Chuck Grassley deserves a nod here, the sole existing Congress member who served during Carter’s presidential term. Interestingly, he too paid his respects, professing his somber recollections.
Interestingly, Biden seemed to approach the event with a grim sort of pleasure, considering his own role during Carter’s tenure as the senator for Delaware was questionable at best. Nevertheless, Biden, ever the public speaker, did not miss the opportunity to ideate himself as the modern day flag bearer of the policies of the fallen president in his eulogy.
Trump, on the other hand, exhibited a more solemn demeanor during his visit to the Capitol Rotunda where Carter’s body had been placed for state honor. Trump and his wife Melania were seen paying their respects, standing in reflective silence. Later he interacted with Carter’s surviving family at the Blair House – an engagement he described as a touchingly humane experience.
Contrasting with Trump’s somber visit, Biden was scheduled to attend the funeral accompanied by First Lady Jill. Vice President Kamala Harris and her husband Doug Emhoff were also some of the notable attendees. The event called to mind a promise Biden had made earlier to Carter, that he would deliver his eulogy – a move that saw Biden capitalizing on the moment to reinforce his political relevance.
The public homage to Carter was on full display during the days his body lay in state. Members of the general public came forward in droves to pay their respects. The parade of attendees, with their commendable sense of patriotism, however, seemed to lack a critical understanding of Carter’s politically tumultuous term.
The late Carter, born and raised an humble farmer’s son in Georgia, served dutifully in the army and later involved himself in state politics. He eventually claimed victory in the presidential race in 1976. Despite notable hiccups during his presidential tenure – skyrocketing inflation, an energy crisis, a botched foreign hostage situation – his post-presidential work gained him plaudits, primarily driven by international humanitarian efforts.