Trump called Carter the “worst president;” Carter said Trump was a “disaster.”
President-elect Donald Trump said this week he plans to attend former President Jimmy Carter’s funeral following a history of mutual criticism.
Carter, who died on Dec. 29 at the age of 100, will be honored with a state funeral at Washington National Cathedral on Thursday, Jan. 9. President Joe Biden is expected to deliver the eulogy.
“I’ll be there. We were invited,” Trump told reporters on Tuesday night, though he declined to say if he’d spoken with any members of the Carter family.
MORE: Biden marks Jimmy Carter’s death with National Day of Mourning, amid sweeping tributes
Trump’s attendance at the funeral will come after years of public sniping between Trump and Carter, including Trump’s recent jabs at Carter on the 2024 campaign trail.
Though after the 39th president’s passing, Trump issued a statement praising Carter’s service to the country.
“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. For that, we all owe him a debt of gratitude,” Trump wrote. “Melania and I are thinking warmly of the Carter Family and their loved ones during this difficult time. We urge everyone to keep them in their hearts and prayers.”
In another post, Trump commended Carter as a “truly good man” and praised his humanitarian work post-presidency.
“While I strongly disagreed with him philosophically and politically, I also realized that he truly loved and respected our Country, and all it stands for. He worked hard to make America a better place, and for that I give him my highest respect,” Trump wrote of Carter. “He was a truly good man and, of course, will be greatly missed. He was also very consequential, far more than most Presidents, after he left the Oval Office.”
But previously, Trump had labelled Carter as the country’s “worst president.”
