Following the US custom of marking the death of important figures and leaders, President Joe Biden ordered US flags at federal facilities to be flown at half-staff for 30 days. At that time, the inauguration of President-elect Donald Trump will take place.
The Carter family said they “respectfully and gratefully” accepted the invitation from the US Congress to allow Carter to be buried in the Rotunda of the US Capitol building. Traditionally, it’s a public viewing where people gather to pay their respects, including lawmakers and dignitaries as well as ordinary Americans.
Carter will then be buried in his family plot next to his wife Rosalyn, who died aged 96 in November 2023.
Biden asked that a tribute be paid to the 39th president of the United States, James Earl Carter Jr., on January 9.
“He embodied the best of America: a humble servant of God and people,” he said in a statement.
Trump wrote on Truth Social that while he and Carter disagreed philosophically, Carter was a “genuinely good man” and had “the utmost respect.”
Other US leaders have also issued statements praising Carter’s life and work, including former presidents Bill Clinton and George W. Bush.
Former President Barack Obama said Carter “taught us all what it means to live a life of grace, dignity, justice and service.”
Carter, a former Georgia peanut farmer turned naval officer turned US president, served from 1977-1981.
During his time in the White House, he advocated for global peace, the environment and human rights, and later won the Nobel Peace Prize in 2002.
One of his most notable achievements in office was brokering a Middle East peace agreement between Egypt and Israel.
However, Carter’s achievements as president were overshadowed by the collapse of the US economy and what he called a “crisis of confidence”.
He served only one term in the White House and lost in a landslide defeat to Ronald Reagan in 1980.
Much of Carter’s legacy was created from his post-presidential life.
He continued to work for global peace and met with international leaders; he created the Carter Center, a nonprofit organization dedicated to helping eradicate disease; and in his 90s, he worked with Habitat for Humanity, helping to build and repair homes.
“We are deeply saddened by the passing of President Carter, and our prayers go out to the Carter family,” said Jonathan Rackford, CEO of Habitat for Humanity International.
