Jimmy Carter honored in state funeral, laid to rest

Jimmy Carter's state funeral attended by five living presidents

Jimmy Carter's casket passes by all five living presidents in Washington National Cathedral

(Image credit: Mandel Ngan / AFP via Getty Images)

By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US, Peter Weber, The Week US

published 10 January 2025

What happened

Former President Jimmy Carter was buried alongside his wife, Rosalynn, in his hometown of Plains, Georgia, on Thursday after being eulogized at a grand state funeral in Washington National Cathedral and then back home at a smaller, private funeral at Maranatha Baptist Church, where he taught Sunday school for many years. All five living presidents and other world leaders attended the state funeral, as did friends and family.

Carter, who died at age 100, often "eschewed the pomp of high office as haughty and unbecoming," The Washington Post said. But his state funeral, per tradition, was "replete with the exalted trappings of a presidential send-off." The image of the five living presidents, all wearing black suits and blue ties, offered a "rare image of presidential unity" that spoke of "preservation and strength" in a time of upheaval and polarization, The New York Times said.

Subscribe to The Week

Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

SUBSCRIBE & SAVE

https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/flexiimages/jacafc5zvs1692883516.jpg

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

Explore More

Rafi Schwartz has worked as a politics writer at The Week since 2022, where he covers elections, Congress and the White House. He was previously a contributing writer with Mic focusing largely on politics, a senior writer with Splinter News, a staff writer for Fusion's news lab, and the managing editor of Heeb Magazine, a Jewish life and culture publication. Rafi's work has appeared in Rolling Stone, GOOD and The Forward, among others.