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All 5 living presidents are attending Jimmy Carter’s National Cathedral funeral

The flag-draped casket of former U.S. President Jimmy Carter is carried by a joint services military honor guard down the steps of the U.S. Capitol on Thursday. [Jeenah Moon/Pool/Getty Images]

Political leaders in Washington will honor the life of former President Jimmy Carter with a funeral service at the National Cathedral this morning — the ultimate Washington insider sendoff for a public servant known throughout his career as a political outsider.

Carter, who died on Dec. 29 at 100, was the nation’s longest-living president.

Thursday’s event marks the final public tribute to Carter, following additional funeral services and ceremonies since Saturday at the U.S. Capitol, the Carter Presidential Center in Atlanta and his hometown of Plains, Ga. Following his national funeral service, the late president’s remains will be transported back to Georgia for a private ceremony and burial in Plains.

The funeral at the National Cathedral is part of a national day of mourning, which President Biden declared in Carter’s honor after his death.

Biden was a longtime colleague of Carter and will deliver a eulogy during the service. There will also be tributes from Carter’s grandson, Jason Carter, and his former aide, Stu Eizenstat. Notably, the sons of former President Gerald Ford and former Vice President Walter Mondale will read posthumous tributes to Carter written by their fathers — a striking nod to Carter’s longevity, given he outlived both leaders.

Country stars Garth Brooks and Tricia Yearwood are also set to sing “Imagine” by John Lennon — known as Carter’s favorite song.

In remarks after Carter’s death, Biden called the late president a “dear friend” and praised his character, highlighting Carter’s record as president and his more than four decades of humanitarian work after leaving the White House.

“What I find extraordinary about Jimmy Carter, though, is that millions of people all around the world, all over the world, feel they lost a friend, as well, even though they never met him,” Biden said. “That’s because Jimmy Carter lived a life measured not by words but by his deeds.”

All four living former presidents are expected to be in attendance at Carter’s funeral, including President-elect Donald Trump, who takes office in less than two weeks. Trump recently criticized Carter’s presidential record during a news conference, arguing that the late former president lost his 1980 reelection bid due to his decision to relinquish control of the Canal Zone in Panama.

Source: NPR