Washington — All five living U.S. presidents are attending Jimmy Carter’s funeral at the National Cathedral in Washington, D.C., on Thursday, a rare occurrence that marks the first time the leaders have gathered publicly since 2018.
President Biden, President-elect Donald Trump and former presidents Barack Obama, George W. Bush and Bill Clinton are attending the funeral service. Mr. Biden is delivering a eulogy for the 39th president, who died on Dec. 29 at the age of 100.
The presidents gather at Carter’s funeral
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Mr. Biden and first lady Jill Biden were seated next to Vice President Kamala Harris and second gentleman Doug Emhoff in the first row Thursday for the funeral service. Clinton and former secretary of state Hillary Clinton were seated behind them, next to Bush and former first lady Laura Bush, Obama, Trump and former first lady Melania Trump. Obama and Trump could be seen talking and at times smiling before the service began. Former first lady Michelle Obama was not in attendance.
Seated behind the row of presidents and first ladies were also former Vice Presidents Al Gore and Mike Pence, who shook hands with Trump upon their arrival at the service.
Steven Ford, the son of President Gerald Ford, read a tribute from his father during the ceremony, as the late president quipped that “two presidents in a room is one too many” while the five in attendance smiled and laughed.
When was the last presidential funeral?
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The five presidents of different parties, some of whom have been political opponents last gathered for the funeral of George H.W. Bush in December 2018. Carter and former first lady Rosalynn Carter were also in attendance.
Eleven presidents have been honored with a state funeral, according to the Congressional Research Service. Like Carter’s, state funerals often include military honors, lying in state in the Capitol Rotunda, and a memorial service often at the National Cathedral.
The former presidents also usually gather for the inauguration. But Trump opted not to attend after Mr. Biden’s victory in 2020. Carter, who was 96 at the time, also wasn’t in attendance, which marked the first time since he was in office that he skipped an inauguration.
