'We told the truth'

Laying a president to rest

An official state funeral for former President Jimmy Carter on Thursday caps a long farewell that began — and will end — in his hometown of Plains, Georgia.

The funeral observances for Carter, who died in late December at the age of 100, have focused on his character and decades of public service, his achievements as president, as well as his post-White House efforts to elevate human rights.

PBS News will cover the public memorial events as the nation pays tribute to the former president.

This newsletter was compiled by Joshua Barajas.

HOW TO WATCH CARTER’S OFFICIAL STATE FUNERAL

Watch the state funeral for former President Jimmy Carter in the player above.

Carter’s remains traveled to the nation’s capital Tuesday following a ceremony at the Carter Presidential Center in Atlanta, where residents gathered for public viewing at the start of the week.

Carter began lying in state at the U.S. Capitol, where the public has an opportunity to pay respects until Thursday morning.

The official state funeral will be held on Thursday, Jan. 9 at the Washington National Cathedral in Washington, D.C. All five living U.S. presidents are expected to attend. The service is scheduled to begin at 10 a.m. EST. Watch live here.

PBS News will have special coverage here, starting at 9 a.m. EST.

President Joe Biden is expected to deliver a eulogy at Thursday’s funeral. Biden has declared a national day of mourning for Carter on Jan. 9, closing some federal offices in observance of the day.

You can also follow the PBS News’ live coverage on YouTube, X, Facebook and TikTok, and see highlights on our Instagram.

More on Carter’s legacy from our coverage:

Watch: Before returning to D.C., Carter was honored in his home state of Georgia on the first day of memorial events.
A Champion of Public Health: How Carter’s work promoting global public health became a core piece of his legacy.
A Humanitarian Leader: After leaving the White House, Carter’s dedication to international humanitarian efforts earned him a Nobel Peace Prize in 2002.

CARTER ON HIS OWN LEGACY

Watch the segment in the player above.

After the funeral in Washington, D.C., the Carter family will return to Plains for a private burial service at Maranatha Baptist Church, where Carter taught Sunday school for years.

Carter will then be buried alongside Rosalynn Smith Carter, his wife of 77 years, beneath a willow tree.

One of the couple’s final public interviews was in 2021 with PBS News’ Judy Woodruff.

Woodruff asked the former president what he was most proud of — and whether there was a big regret — when looking back at his time in the Oval Office.

“I would say that we did what we pledged to do in the campaign,” Carter said. “We kept the peace and we obeyed the law and we told the truth and we honored human rights. Those were the things that were important to me.”

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