Donald Trump Says He’s Planning on Attending Jimmy Carter’s Funeral: ‘I’ll Be There’

Donald Trump is planning to attend Jimmy Carter‘s funeral following the former president’s death on Sunday, Dec. 29, at the record-breaking age of 100.

President-elect Trump revealed he’d been invited and would be in attendance at the ceremony while speaking to reporters at a New Year’s Eve party at his Mar-a-Lago club in Palm Beach, Fla., on Tuesday, Dec. 31, per the Associated Press.

“I’ll be there,” Trump said, before declining to comment on whether he’d spoken to any of Carter’s family members following his death, the AP reported.

Carter — the Nobel Peace Prize-winning 39th president of the United States who transformed his legacy from one-term commander-in-chief to beloved humanitarian — will be remembered at funeral services in Georgia and Washington D.C. between Jan. 4 and Jan. 9, according to the AP.

Carter’s state funeral will take place on Jan. 9 at the Washington National Cathedral, according to the BBC, and will be marked with a national day of mourning.

The late Democrat, who was a one-term president from 1977 to 1981, died at his home in Plains, Ga., according to his son James E. Carter III, known as Chip, per The Washington Post. The Carter Center also confirmed the news in a message shared on X (formerly Twitter).

On Carter’s historic 100th birthday, which took place on Oct. 1, Trump mocked the former president during a speech at a manufacturing facility in Waunakee, Wis., according to PBS. While calling President Joe Biden the worst president in U.S. history, Trump told the crowd, “Jimmy Carter is the happiest man because Jimmy Carter is considered a brilliant president by comparison,” per The Daily Beast and USA Today.

Following Carter’s death, Trump was among those who paid tribute, writing on Truth Social, “I just heard of the news about the passing of President Jimmy Carter. Those of us who have been fortunate to have served as President understand this is a very exclusive club, and only we can relate to the enormous responsibility of leading the Greatest Nation in History.”

“The challenges Jimmy faced as President came at a pivotal time for our country and he did everything in his power to improve the lives of all Americans,” Trump continued. “For that, we all owe him a debt of gratitude.”

The president-elect added that he and his wife Melania Trump were “thinking warmly of the Carter Family and their loved ones during this difficult time. We urge everyone to keep them in their hearts and prayers.”

Carter made his final public appearance in November 2023 to mourn the death of his wife of nearly eight decades, Rosalynn Carter, who died that month at the age of 96. The couple — whose 77-year marriage was the longest of any first couple — is survived by their four children: Jack, Chip, Jeff and Amy.

In March 2019, Carter became the longest-lived American president who also enjoyed the lengthiest post-White House life.

After navigating many health issues over the years, most notably his cancer diagnosis, the Carter Center announced in February 2023 that the former president had been moved to hospice care following “a series of short hospital stays.”

“Former US President Jimmy Carter today decided to spend his remaining time at home with his family and receive hospice care instead of additional medical intervention,” their statement said at the time. “He has the full support of his family and his medical team.”

“The Carter family asks for privacy during this time and is grateful for the concern shown by his many admirers,” the message concluded.