Former President Jimmy Carter, who died Sunday at 100, is expected to lie in state in the Capitol Rotunda in January, Fox News has learned.
Officials have not yet released the specific dates when Carter’s body will be in the Rotunda. The New York Times reported that the 39th president is expected to lie in state in both the Georgia State Capitol and the U.S. Capitol before a state funeral takes place at Washington National Cathedral.
Former Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid in January 2022 was the most recent statesman to lie in state. Twelve U.S. presidents have lain in state, beginning with former President Abraham Lincoln. The last U.S. president to lie in state was former President George H.W. Bush, who died in November 2018.
Multiple observances of Carter’s death are expected in coming days. The Carter Center said on Sunday that events are expected in Atlanta and Washington, D.C. Carter was from Plains, Georgia.
JIMMY CARTER, 39TH PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES, DEAD AT 100
“The final arrangements for President Carter’s state funeral, including all public events and motorcade routes, are still pending,” the center noted.
The former president will be interred privately in his hometown, to which he returned after serving as president from 1977 to 1981. His death came after years of health problems, including cancer that spread to his liver and brain. He entered hospice care in February 2023.
Carter outlived his wife of 77 years, Rosalynn Carter, who died in November 2023 at the age of 96. His death inspired an outpouring of sympathy from both sides of the political aisle, with President-elect Trump writing that Americans “owe [Carter] a debt of gratitude.”
JIMMY, ROSALYNN CARTER’S HABITAT FOR HUMANITY LEGACY WILL CONTINUE, ORGANIZATION SAYS
“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,” Trump said in a Truth Social post on Sunday. “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.”
In a statement released on Sunday, the late president’s son, Chip Carter, called his father a “hero.”
“My father was a hero, not only to me but to everyone who believes in peace, human rights, and unselfish love,” the statement read. “My brothers, sister, and I shared him with the rest of the world through these common beliefs.”
“The world is our family because of the way he brought people together, and we thank you for honoring his memory by continuing to live these shared beliefs.”
More information about the funeral and ceremony plans for Carter is expected to emerge in the coming days.
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