Trump to attend Jimmy Carter state funeral

A US flag flies at half-staff at the base of the Washington Monument in honor of former US president Jimmy Carter in Washington, DC, on December 30, 2024. – Jimmy Carter, the 100-year-old former US president and Nobel peace laureate who rose from humble beginnings in rural Georgia to lead the nation from 1977 to 1981, has died, his nonprofit foundation said December 29. (Photo by ROBERTO SCHMIDT / AFP)

WASHINGTON — US President-elect Donald Trump said Tuesday he plans to attend the state funeral of former president Jimmy Carter, who died Sunday aged 100.

Trump shared his intentions with reporters during New Year’s Eve celebrations at his Mar-a-Lago residence in Florida.

“I do. I’ll be there. We were invited,” Trump said.

READ: Jimmy Carter, the 39th US president, has died at 100

When asked a follow-up question about whether he had spoken to any of Carter’s family members, the Republican demurred, responding: “I’d rather not say.”

Carter, a Democrat who served one term as US president from 1977 to 1981, voted by mail in the 2024 US presidential election, with family members saying he planned to vote for Trump’s opponent, Vice President Kamala Harris.

READ: US prepares state honors for late president Jimmy Carter

State funeral plans for Carter, a one-time peanut farmer who worked his way to the White House, begin Saturday in his home state of Georgia and will conclude January 9 at the Washington National Cathedral, where Trump is expected to attend along with other dignitaries.