Donald Trump, the U.S. President-elect, plans to attend the funeral of former President Jimmy Carter, which will be held next week. Separately, he mentioned that the New Year is going to be a “great year.”
According to the Associated Press on December 31st, Trump announced his plans to attend Carter’s funeral during a meeting with reporters before a New Year’s Eve event held at his Mar-a-Lago residence in Florida. However, he did not respond when asked whether he had expressed his condolences to Carter’s family.
The “state funeral” for former President Carter, who passed away at the age of 100 on the 29th, will take place on January 9th at the Washington National Cathedral in Washington, D.C. President Biden, along with former and current U.S. presidents, is expected to attend. If Trump attends, it will mark his second meeting with President Joe Biden since the last election. Biden had previously invited Trump to the White House on November 13th to discuss the transition of power.
The funeral attendees are expected to include Jimmy Carter’s grandson, Jason Carter, who is the chairman of the Carter Center board, Ted Mondale, the son of Carter’s Vice President Walter Mondale, and Steven Ford, the son of former President Gerald Ford, who will deliver tributes.
During the 2024 election campaign, Trump had repeatedly criticized former President Carter. He particularly used the inflation rate during Carter’s presidency in the 1970s as a tool to criticize the Biden administration’s handling of inflation.
However, after Carter’s passing, Trump expressed high regard for him on his social media platform, Truth Social, stating, “I owed him a debt of gratitude.” Trump acknowledged that although they differed greatly in philosophical and political views, Carter truly loved and respected the United States and everything it represented. He added, “He worked hard to make America a better place, and for that, I have the utmost respect.”
Meanwhile, when asked about his ‘New Year’s resolutions’ by reporters, Trump stated, “2025 will be a ‘great year,'” expressing optimism about the country’s future. He said there is light shining not just on America, but across the world, and many people are happy. He wished for everyone to be happy and healthy.
In his New Year’s Eve speech, Trump promised to do a great job as everyone’s president. However, he avoided specifics about the possibility of ending the war in Ukraine by saying, “We’ll see what happens,” and offered only a general comment on the Gaza conflict, saying that it would be good if the hostages return soon.