The Funeral of Jimmy Carter

Speaker 1 (00:00):

[inaudible 00:01:32].

Audience (00:00):

[inaudible 00:05:44].

Speaker 2 (11:35):

Please, take your seats. The state funeral for President James Earl Carter Jr. will begin momentarily. This service is now being live-streamed. Thank you.

Speaker 1 (11:49):

(singing)

Speaker 3 (19:52):

… News. This is a special report. The funeral of Jimmy Carter. Here are Lester Holt and Savannah Guthrie.

Savannah Guthrie (20:14):

Hi, everybody. Good morning. And we come on the air this morning with live coverage of the nation's farewell to its 39th President James Earl Carter Jr. Jimmy Carter as he was known. This week of commemoration and remembrance is now entering its final stretch.

Lester Holt (20:28):

Right now, the Carter family is accompanying the former president's body as it arrives at the Washington National Cathedral. About five miles northwest of the capital where a state funeral will be held as the nation prepares to say goodbye.

Savannah Guthrie (20:42):

All five living presidents, including President-elect Trump, are expected to come together in a rare moment of unity. It is President Biden that will lead the tributes today. After President Carter asked President Biden his longtime ally and friend to give today's eulogy.

Lester Holt (20:58):

We will also see dignitaries from across the country and around the world gathering in Washington to remember a man who won the respect and affection of so many during a century, incredible century of life.

Savannah Guthrie (21:11):

And you can see in the audience there who's who. Supreme Court members, members of Congress, former presidents, family, friends, colleagues, and members of the public by the thousands have paid their respects as well at the Capitol. Participating in this time-honored ritual, a somber moment of American history as President Carter lay in state at the Capitol Rotunda until this service this morning. I'm going to give to Craig Melvin, who's outside Washington National Cathedral for us. The funeral about to start in just a few minutes. Craig, if you could just set the scene for us this morning?

Craig Melvin (21:43):

Savannah, Lester, good morning to you. We are just moments away from President Carter's casket arriving here at the National Cathedral. It is a cold and blustery morning here, reminiscent of President Carter's inauguration about 50 years ago. When the service starts here at roughly 10:00 AM we're expecting about an hour, hour and a half of songs, tributes, as you mentioned, of course, President Biden eulogizing Jimmy Carter.

(22:12)
But we're also going to be hearing from a number of folks that were important to the former president. We just saw Andrew Young a few moments ago. Andrew Young will be one of the first speakers. It was of course Andrew Young, who was a mayor of Atlanta, Georgia. But before that, it was Jimmy Carter who appointed Andrew Young as ambassador to the United Nations. He will be one of the early speakers. There will be a number of folks singing as well, including we're told Garth Brooks and Trisha Yearwood will be singing Imagine, one of President Carter's favorite songs.

(22:46)
After he leaves the National Cathedral, he will then be taken to Joint Base Andrews in Maryland. From there, he will be flown back to Plains, Georgia where he will be laid to rest next to his wife, Rosalind Carter. Wife of more than 70 years. She of course passed away back in November of 2023. As we watch the casket pulling up here outside the National Cathedral, behind the hearse, carrying the casket, of course, members of President Carter's family. His grandchildren today will be serving as Paul Bears as well. Savannah, Lester.

Lester Holt (23:23):

All right, Craig, thanks. As we see that the crowd begin to form there, we will be seeing really decades and decades of history in the faces and of course the eulogies. And this is the scene again outside the cathedral where the former president's casket will soon enter for the beginning of this funeral. I want to bring in Meet the Press Moderator Kristen Welker, our Senior Washington Correspondent, Hallie Jackson as well, and our Senior White House Correspondent, Kelly O'Donnell, who's covered the former president for years. Kristen, let me begin with you, your reflections here as the nation says goodbye.

Kristen Welker (24:01):

Well, Lester and Savannah, I'm struck by the fact that you have all of the past presidents coming together, this rare show of bipartisanship to honor the life and legacy of the late Jimmy Carter, the 39th President of the United States, who of course served one term. He left after a defeat by Ronald Reagan. Inflation was high. There were American hostages in Iran. But his post-presidency in some ways I think has become such a critical part of his legacy.

(24:35)
His focus on human rights, his focus on community, the Carter Foundation, building homes for those in need, fighting diseases. In fact, stomping out one disease throughout Africa. And really having that be a model of what he wanted to be remembered for. He really made the presidency, by the way, a shift towards one that was focused on human rights globally. I think that will be a key part of the Carter legacy as will I think the tone that he tried to set here in Washington. He didn't enjoy politics particularly, but he enjoyed policy. He understood the importance of it. So he's also known for the Camp David Peace Accords of 1978 between Egypt and Israel, which by the way still resonate to this day.

(25:32)
I think we will hear President Biden when he eulogizes Carter talk about that, talk about his accomplishments both in and out of office, and the fact that he was someone who really tried to strike a note of decency throughout his political career. By the way, President Biden becoming the first senator to endorse him in 1976 when Carter ran for president back then. The two have a long friendship, a long relationship. At times disagreeing, and I think some of these past presidents would say they at times disagreed with his penchant for speaking out, for making his perspective known.

(26:13)
One final point, I went back to the Meet the Press archives to get a sense of some of what Carter had to say on Meet the Press over the course of his 11 appearances. And in 2000, in an interview with Tim Russert, Mr. Russert asked him about civility in the age of 2000. And he talked about his campaign with the late Ronald Reagan and he said it wasn't an accepted thing to run a negative campaign. For him, civility, decency, human rights were key. Lester, Savannah.

Lester Holt (26:46):

All right, let me bring in Hallie Jackson. Hallie, we talked so much about the post-presidency of Jimmy Carter, but can you reflect on how he treated politics after he left the White House? How he insert himself or maybe in some cases didn't insert himself in the political debates at the time.

Hallie Jackson (27:06):

He saw himself as somebody who would work on humanitarian causes, somebody who would work to promote peace around the world. Somebody who in many ways had a post-presidency that in the eyes of historians, was perhaps more productive than his presidency. Although, I will tell you, when you talk with historians, with experts, with people close to him, they will tell you that's a bit of a misnomer. He did a lot as a president. He's known for so many of his works like with Habitat for Humanity after he left office. But at the same time, somebody like Walter Mondale, we'll hear from his son later on today delivering a tribute this morning, talking about how history will judge Jimmy Carter differently in the decades after he leaves office than they did while he was in office, given how he left in 1980 with one of the lowest approval ratings for any president.

(27:52)
You take a look at some of these images here, Lester, as we look at the Washington National Cathedral, and I'm struck by this moment of bipartisanship for Washington. We talk a lot about how that can sometimes be rare in a town like this. But we will start to see, and I'm looking closely here, I think the front rows are still empty there. You will see these former presidents filing in. Different political parties. We've seen it even at the U.S. Capitol as President Carter has been laying in state there over the course of the last couple of days. Top Democrats, top Republicans coming together. You see former Vice President Mike Pence there. A notable moment as we do expect to see President-elect Trump and Melania Trump here sitting very close to his former running mate now. The first time the two of them will come into this kind of close public contact since leaving office four years ago.

(28:36)
And think about Jimmy Carter and bipartisanship, we talk about his time after leaving the White House. He became exceptionally close with Gerald Ford. We will hear from Gerald Ford's son later on today delivering a tribute here. But Jimmy Carter talked about how one of the greatest blessings of his life was this friendship that he developed across the aisle, this bipartisan friendship that meant so much to him later in life. And so, that I think is a theme and part of the tone that you will see at the Washington National Cathedral today, Lester.

Lester Holt (29:05):

All right, Hallie, thanks.

Savannah Guthrie (29:06):

And, of course, never forget it. Gerald Ford and Jimmy Carter were political opponents, rivals in the 1976 election, which of course Jimmy Carter prevailed. But later that formed a tight bond. And it is Gerald Ford's eulogy that will be read today by his son as per Jimmy Carter's wishes. This is Washington in this moment of ritual and in a month of ritual, we just saw the January 6th election certification. In 11 days, we'll inaugurate a new president. President-elect Trump will take office for his second term and President Biden will step down. And so, we're seeing this moment and these rituals, Kelly, which you of course have covered for years now, where you see individuals come across the aisle, you see the lovers of government, you see the Supreme Court clerks, you see the members of Congress all there paying in homage to a former president. And talk about the mood in Washington right now as we watch these pictures.

Kelly O'Donnell (30:04):

What is striking is that this is reverence for the institutions that are the foundation of our country, and that is part of what will be on display today. Every American presidential family of recent generations is represented going back to the granddaughter of Franklin Delano Roosevelt. The family of Eisenhower will be present. The children of Richard Nixon and Lyndon Johnson will be present. President Kennedy's grandson will attend. So it's the sort of community of American presidential families that is one part of it, that they come together and show respect for the office and the man. And I think so much of what is striking about Jimmy Carter is that he weaves together those two strands. The life of a man and what he could do in service and in community and the office of the presidency. What he did in governance is to be judged by many over

Kelly O'Donnell (31:00):

… Time, but he is also teaching people that you are not simply defined by the office that you hold. It is the span of your life and the impact. And what he wanted to do was to take the Carter Center to the global humanitarian level that it reached, to eradicate a terrible disease like Guinea worm in Africa, which had thousands of cases and caused immense pain and suffering. Now, there are just a handful of cases. That was the determined work. Jimmy Carter was very much a man of humility, but very much a man of ambition, not to be seen as someone who was overtly politically-driven. And yet, he knew the influence of office was a way to make change. And so, he certainly connected with people who would not be likely comrades, if you will. He went to Donald Trump as a businessman and said, "I need a substantial donation from you for the Carter Foundation."

(31:59)
And they, of course, had a civil, pleasant relationship, not the kind of relationship he had with Joe Biden, which was long and personal and politically aligned. But President Carter also told me that George H. W. Bush was one of the presidents who let him in. And by that, I mean, while he was in office, he would call Jimmy Carter and consult with him. Other presidents didn't do that so much, in the sense that Jimmy Carter was an outsider and he left the office in his fifties and went on to, at times, be critical of the office in contemporary moments that didn't always sit well, but clearly, today, the respect they hold for him is evident.

Savannah Guthrie (32:37):

He was an extraordinary individual and to himself, unique in many, many ways, as we've been talking this morning. His humanity and his decency and really the model of the servant leader, that his faith, which meant so much to him, would've dictated. And teaching Sunday school well into his nineties at Maranatha Baptist Church in Plains, Georgia. As we remember and await this ceremony to begin in just a few moments, we remember the words that have come to mind for so many, humility, faith, family. The former president starts his journey home today to his final resting place in Plains, Georgia. And we're about to hear from his son, Chip, who shared his deeply personal memories of his father with NBC's Richard Louie, during a conversation they had in recent days. Take a look.

Richard Lui (33:25):

It was a home fit for a future president, Jimmy Carter's first after leaving the Navy. Public housing, the Carters had little money, one bathroom, three bedrooms, for two parents and three sons. And whose room was this?

Chip Carter (33:36):

That was my brother, Jack's.

Richard Lui (33:38):

Chip Carter was the middle son of the 39th president.

Chip Carter (33:42):

My older brother, Jack, always the favorite. Ended up having a room by himself, and I had to share my room with my brother, Jeff, which didn't seem appropriate at the time.

Richard Lui (33:50):

Chip and the former president had some bumps along the way.

Chip Carter (33:53):

I wasn't his favorite son or child.

Richard Lui (33:56):

Including a struggle with addiction.

Chip Carter (33:58):

So at two o'clock in the morning, I walk into his bedroom, wake him up, and say, "Dad, I'm strung out on speed. I need your help." The next day, he told me to stand my jeans in the corner and go buy a suit, and I was his driver in the campaign there. Drove him all over Georgia while he did speeches. And it cured me.

Richard Lui (34:18):

Part of that cure together, using music to inspire. Do you remember the last song that maybe the two of you shared?

Chip Carter (34:24):

It was Willie Nelson, I'm sure.

Richard Lui (34:26):

The former president and Chip shared moments that changed the world.

Speaker 4 (34:29):

Thank you, Mr. President.

Richard Lui (34:31):

The 13 days Chip spent shuttling the briefcases of his father and the leaders of Egypt and Israel during the historic Camp David Accords.

Chip Carter (34:38):

Dad always thought it was going to work.

Richard Lui (34:40):

And how Chip sat by his father's side as he met with MLK Senior and others, as the former president set new precedents for Black, Latino, and Asian American representation on the national stage.

Chip Carter (34:53):

He was the peace president, the human rights president.

Richard Lui (34:53):

The president that never forgot his roots in Plains and his roots in family to the very end.

Chip Carter (34:57):

And we became friends with my parents, and we could joke around and leave with love in our heart.

Richard Lui (35:03):

For six years, Chip spent days each week personally caring for his father.

Chip Carter (35:07):

I never really had time with him before that, but this time, all the time I wanted was there.

Richard Lui (35:13):

Five days before his father passed, Chip learned his father's heart was losing power.

Chip Carter (35:18):

So they all came to me, and I was shocked.

Richard Lui (35:20):

The former president had given Chip the power to make decisions for the family. And those times of not being the favorite son, as Willie Nelson said, it's funny how time slips away.

Chip Carter (35:31):

To walk the farms with him, he's got a 32 inch stride, so he would make it so he could step in the middle of the row and never slow down going across a peanut field. That's what I grew up with, trying to keep up with dad.

Richard Lui (35:43):

And maybe to help him keep up, the President had a reason for planting each peanut row 32 inches apart.

Chip Carter (35:52):

I happened to have a 32 inch stride too.

Savannah Guthrie (35:53):

And Richard Lui joins us now. Richard, we are keeping our eye on this moment outside of National Cathedral. Any moment, we do expect the hearse to be brought in, as this funeral service, the state funeral, for our 39th President Jimmy Carter to begin. But Richard, as I turn to you, what a poignant perspective and to get to really sit down and talk to Chip Carter about his memories of his father.

Richard Lui (36:15):

Yeah, Savannah, one of the memories that we do not know about, that we may not know in common folklore, if you will, is that this president was the first to live in public housing in our modern history. And this evangelical president, as you were intimating earlier, Savannah, is one that took the lesson of public housing, the way he raised his family, the way he did politics, and the way that he worked in family, something that Chip shared deeply, that love of working hard to get things done.

Savannah Guthrie (36:45):

Well, as they say in church, he didn't just talk the talk, he walked the walk. And we are starting to see some of the guests file in. President-elect Trump and former First Lady Melania Trump entering in. We'll see the former Vice President Mike Pence sitting very nearby. Vice President Gore will be there, former Vice President Quayle, former President Bush. We'll see President Clinton. Who's who of former presidents in this solitary moment where everyone gathers in honor, not just to the individual, but to the office.

Lester Holt (37:17):

Let me bring in Washington Post columnist Eugene Robinson now, he's also an NBC News political analyst, as we see the soon-to-be President-elect Donald Trump about to take his seat there, greeting Mike Pence. Eugene, your thoughts?

Eugene Robinson (37:36):

That's quite a moment, isn't it? Because as you know, those two men have not been close since the Trump presidency. I believe this is the first time they have met and spoken since January 6th, 2021, which was a day that we all remember. It's interesting, because today, it looks remarkable to see all these Republicans and Democrats, former presidents, former vice presidents, who have such differences, to see them all together. And that seems remarkable. And I think back to when Jimmy Carter was in office, which was a long time ago, it was almost 50 years ago, and it would not have been remarkable then.

Lester Holt (38:30):

Yeah, just going to point out, President Obama, Vice President Al Gore.

Savannah Guthrie (38:38):

Dan Quayle.

Lester Holt (38:38):

Dan Quayle has found his seat on the end.

Eugene Robinson (38:44):

Yeah, and Lester, it would not have been remarkable to see this during the Carter years. And nostalgia is we have to look to the future, we have to look to the present, but there are things that we have lost from the past. And one of them is this. We have become so polarized. Our political culture has changed so much that it's almost stunning to see this sort of comity and common purpose among Republicans and Democrats.

Lester Holt (39:24):

Yeah. I just pause for a second, this is a remarkable picture we're looking at here.

Savannah Guthrie (39:30):

If you're a body language expert, you're having quite the moment. We just saw former President Bush come in. President Obama immediately stood up. There have been some handshakes.

Lester Holt (39:38):

President Trump, it looked like a cordial greeting among the two of them.

Savannah Guthrie (39:41):

Between Obama and Trump, it looked like some amiable words. I didn't catch, the cameras didn't catch, I don't know if there's been any interaction between former President Bush and President-elect Trump, but there is no love lost there.

Lester Holt (39:56):

Here come the Clintons.

Savannah Guthrie (39:57):

Yes. Here come the Clintons, former President Clinton, former Senator, former presidential candidate, of course, Hillary Clinton. So it's one of those rare, rare moments in Washington where we see these close and personal interactions among people who have led and will lead our country.

Lester Holt (40:12):

And Eugene, I'm just wondering who among them was influenced by Jimmy Carter in their presidency.

Eugene Robinson (40:22):

I guess, in a way, they all were… Certainly, Bill Clinton, the fellow Southerner. Obama and Trump too, in the sense that they were… Well, Trump especially was an outsider coming into Washington. Several of these presidents were annoyed by President Carter at various times during his post presidency, when he spoke out, when he disagreed with what the current president was doing. But they all, I think, all had this amazing respect for him, because he was such a significant figure in our history.

Lester Holt (41:11):

This exchange between President Obama and President Trump continues there, sharing a moment. And of course, President Bush there to President Obama's right.

Savannah Guthrie (41:28):

Well, let's turn to Kristen Welker as we watch these scenes unfold. It is an extraordinarily chatty moment between former President Trump and former President Obama. But let us remember, if you've ever actually attended one of these kinds of services, it's quiet in there. You're walked in one by one, they're awaiting the family, they're waiting the hearse. This is a funeral after all. And so, sometimes, there's a little bit of chatter, but mostly, it's what you see right there, everyone waiting for this solemn event to get underway. Kristen?

Kristen Welker (42:03):

Savannah, I think, when you talk about a body language expert, you're reminded of how extraordinary what we are witnessing is, the fact that you have President-elect Trump and former President Obama in this sustained conversations, exchanging pleasantries and smiles. These are two leaders who have taken barbs at one another for years. Former President Obama with some of his sharpest language for President-elect Trump, referring to him as a threat to the democracy. And of course, Vice President Kamala Harris, Second Gentleman, Doug Emhoff entering, as we have this conversation. And you are reminded of the fact that the Presidents Club is so exclusive and so unique, that, despite all of the bitter back and forth between Obama and Trump, they're able to sit there together and exchange what appears to be pleasantries.

Savannah Guthrie (43:05):

What's interesting, Kristen, is many have observed that, in that so-called Presidents Club, Jimmy Carter was not the chummiest member of that club. And we've seen this across the aisle. The Obamas and the Bushes are quite fond of each other, and the Clintons and the Bushes. So there are these relationships, but even when you've seen images of this from the Oval Office with all the former presidents gathered, where Jimmy Carter's almost on the outside, he never wanted be part of that club. He never thought of himself as a political insider. He came to Washington, he left Washington, and then, devoted his life and his post-presidency to service.

Kristen Welker (43:45):

That's right, Savannah. I'm reminded of that image when former President Obama took office and all of the past presidents came to the Oval Office to deliver their council, their support, for the nation's first Black president, how powerful those images are and were. And the fact that President Jimmy Carter, yes, did give counsel to Barack Obama, he also was quite outspoken on his Middle East peace policy. And that created some tensions between the two leaders. But he was not a creature of Washington. And those who knew him, those who worked with him said that that was one of the things that he struggled with, the politics of being here, of getting his legislation passed. He was very focused on the substance. He was not afraid to speak his mind. He was a plain spoken person. That's part of what distinguished him. But again, you do think back to that moment when President Obama first took office, Jimmy Carter was among those there to give counsel, to give support.

Lester Holt (44:51):

And it's remarkable. I'll bring in Kelly here. It is remarkable, as we watch the front rows there and the various presidents. And we also see Vice President Kamala Harris. This is on the same week, we should note, Kelly, that she presided over the certification of the election that she lost.

Kelly O'Donnell (45:09):

Something she called a sacred obligation and duty to show that the Office of the Vice President would go forward with that, without any personal difficulty having to announce her own name and the fact that she had fewer electoral votes. Al Gore did that as well, and he, of course, is seated among this group. What I am struck by in that second row is that three presidents, Bill Clinton, George W. Bush, and Donald Trump were born in the same summer. The oldest among them is Donald Trump. He was born in June of 1946, July of 1946 was George W. Bush, and August of that year, Bill Clinton. Born in the same summer, their presidencies spanned decades of American life and certainly span political thought. And incoming, the current President, born in 1942, of a somewhat different generation at the front end of that time. And you have what will be a unique moment, because when they gather again, at some point, one among them will not be present. That's how unique this moment is, that this constellation of American leadership will be seen in this way only this time.

Savannah Guthrie (46:24):

And now, the picture is complete as President Biden sits down with First Lady Dr. Jill Biden, and we are moments away now, if you're just tuning in, top of the hour, at 10 o'clock on the East Coast, we are about to witness the state funeral for Jimmy Carter, the 39th President of the United States. All former living presidents in attendance, several former vice presidents in attendance. President Biden will deliver the eulogy, as requested by President Carter. It's always so interesting, I think Hallie's with us, Kelly's with us, Kristen, that these services, these moments, this one in particular has been planned for decades.

(47:00)
The first meeting about these plans, this state funeral, this funeral week was in 1986, and that these moments, while fascinating to watch, every single meticulous detail has been selected oftentimes by the Carters themselves. Rosalynn Carter, Jimmy Carter's wife of 77 years, chose the hymns that we'll hear today. President Carter and Mrs. Carter wanted Trisha Yearwood and Garth Brooks to sing his beloved song, Imagine. And we will hear that today. And so, so much of the personality of the former president will be visible in this next hour as we watch this service began to unfold.

Hallie Jackson (47:44):

An evolving process, Savannah, over the course of Jimmy Carter's life, as you talk about Jimmy and Rosalynn planning this particular moment, as you see now the casket being removed now, as we get ready for the service to begin at the National Cathedral. You think about some of the music here. For example, a longtime flight attendant, Phyllis Adams, was performing for President Carter back in 2017. The former president was so impressed he said, "I'd like you to sing at my funeral." There were moments like that again and again. You look at the pianist who's playing some of the music at this morning's service, somebody who performed at a birthday party at various events for President Carter and for Rosalynn Carter over the years. These are people who were important to them personally, who were a part of their lives, and who are present here today.

Kristen Welker (48:26):

And underscoring that point, Walter Mondale was supposed to help eulogize President Carter, Savannah and Lester. It was expected that he would outlive him. And now, his son will be delivering that eulogy.

Savannah Guthrie (48:40):

Our oldest living president, Jimmy Carter, passing away at the age of 100. He was born in 1924. And let's watch as this ceremony begins to unfold. Craig Melvin outside the front, but let's just pause here for this moment of homage.

Speaker 6 (52:29):

With faith in Jesus Christ, we receive the body of our brother, James, for burial. Let us pray with confidence to God, the giver of life, that he will raise him to perfection in the company of the Saints. Deliver your servant, James, oh sovereign Lord Christ, from all evil and set him free from every bond, that he may rest with, all your saints in the eternal habitations, wherewith the Father and the Holy Spirit, you live and reign one God forever and ever.

Speaker 5 (53:11):

Let us also pray for all who mourn, that they may cast their care on God and know the consolation of his love. Almighty God, look with pity on the sorrows of your servants for whom we pray. Remember them, Lord, in mercy. Nourish them patience. Comfort them with a sense of your goodness. Lift up your countenance upon them and give them peace through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Speaker 7 (53:46):

[inaudible 00:54:00]

MUSIC (55:28):

Tell me, where is the road I can call my own,

(55:28)
That I left, that I lost, so long ago?

(55:28)
All these years I have wandered,

(55:28)
Oh, when will I know.

(55:28)
There's a way, there's a road,

(55:28)
That will lead me home?

(55:28)
After wind, after rain,

(55:28)
When the dark is done.

(55:28)
As I wake from a dream,

(55:28)
In the gold of day,

(55:28)
Through the air there's a calling,

(55:28)
From far away,

(55:28)
There's a voice I can hear,

(55:28)
That will lead me home.

(55:28)
Rise up, follow me,

(55:28)
Come away, is the call,

(55:28)
With the love in your heart,

(55:28)
As the only song;

(55:28)
There is no such beauty,

(55:28)
As where you belong:

(55:28)
Rise up, follow me,

(55:28)
I will lead you home.

Rev. Andrew Young (01:04:18):

I am the resurrection and the life say that the Lord. He that believeth in me, though He were dead, yet shall He live and whoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die. I know that my redeemer lives and that He shall stand at the latter day upon the earth and though this body be destroyed, yet shall I see God whom I shall see for myself and my eyes shall behold and not as a stranger, for none of us liveth to himself and no man dieth to himself.

Speaker 9 (01:05:40):

[inaudible 01:05:37]. Ready step, ready step, ready step, ready step, ready step, ready step, ready step, ready step, ready step, ready step, ready step, ready step. Forward march. March. Center face. Right down.

Rev. Andrew Young (01:06:32):

For if we live and if we die, we die unto the Lord.

Speaker 9 (01:06:43):

Ready three. Ready face. Ready up. Ready face. Forward march.

Rev. Andrew Young (01:07:20):

For none of us liveth to himself and no man dieth to himself, for if we live, we live unto the Lord and we die unto the Lord. Whether we live therefore, or die, we are the Lord's. Blessed of the dead who die in the Lord, even so sayeth the Spirit for they rest from their labors.

Speaker 8 (01:07:59):

The Lord be with you.

Speaker 10 (01:08:00):

And also with you.

Speaker 8 (01:08:02):

Let us pray. Oh God, whose mercies cannot be numbered, accept our prayers on behalf of your servant James, and grant him an entrance into the land of light and joy in the fellowship of your saints, through Jesus Christ, our Lord who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God now and forever. Amen.

Joshua Carter (01:09:34):

My grandfather started teaching Sunday school when he was a midshipman at the Naval Academy. He taught the Bible every Sunday from World War II to COVID. For all my grandfather's travels, he structured his life so that he was home in Plains to teach at Maranatha on Sunday. It was central to his life. Every time I went to church with him, it was packed. The line started before sunrise and I was always very thankful that I got to walk in with my grandmother, and as soon as we sat down, Sunday school would start. My grandfather always began by asking if anybody had been in his church before. My grandmother and I raised our hands and almost no one else did.

(01:10:18)
And then my grandfather would poll the congregation and we'd quickly find out that the church was full of people from all over the country, of all different backgrounds and beliefs, and my grandfather would address the most diverse Sunday School class ever assembled again. Before he delivered his Bible lesson, my grandfather talked about his week. If he monitored an election, he'd talk about it. If he stopped the conflict, he'd talk about it. If he eliminated a disease from a village or a country, he would about it. When my brother Jeremy died, he announced that news in Sunday School. In fact, I remember that my brother died on a Sunday because it was the only time my grandfather was ever late to teach.

(01:11:13)
My grandfather won the Nobel Peace Prize. His Sunday School class learned first. At the end of his Nobel Peace Prize lecture, he stated, the most serious and universal problem on our planet is the growing chasm between the richest and poorest people on earth. For the next two decades, as the problem compounded, he returned to this theme with stories from the Bible and stories from today of the richest people in the world using their enormous wealth to buy a nation's poverty. Many of the people that my grandparents helped lived on less than $1 a day. My grandfather spent the entire time I've known him helping those in need. He built houses for people that needed homes. He eliminated diseases in forgotten places. He waged peace anywhere in the world, wherever he saw a chance. He loved people. And whenever he told these stories in Sunday School, he always said he did it for one simple reason. He worshiped the Prince of Peace and he commanded it. The bedrock of my grandfather's faith comes from the Apostle Paul's letter to the Romans, Chapter 8, 1-18, 38 and 39.

(01:12:39)
"Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus because through Christ Jesus, the law of the spirit of life set me free from the law of sin and death. For what the law was powerless to do and that it was weakened by the sinful nature, God did by sending His own son in the likeness of sinful man to be a sin offering. And so, he condemned sin and sinful man, in order that the righteous requirements of the law might be fully met in us who do not live according to the sinful nature, but according to the Spirit. Those who live according to the sinful nature have their mind set on what that nature desires, but those who live in accordance with the Spirit have their mind set on what the Spirit desires. The mind of sinful man is death, but the mind by the spirit is life and peace. The sinful mind is hostile of God. It does not submit to God's love, nor nor can it do so. Those controlled by the sinful nature cannot please God. You however are controlled not by the sinful nature but by the Spirit if the Spirit of God lives in you, and if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to Christ. But if Christ is in you, your body is dead because of sin, yet your Spirit is alive because of righteousness. And if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, he who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His spirit who lives in you. Therefore brothers, we have an obligation, but it is not to the sinful nature to live according to it. For if you live according to the sinful nature, you will die. But if by the Spirit you put to death the misdeeds of the body, you will live because those who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God. For you to not receive a Spirit that makes you a slave begin to fear, but you receive the Spirit of sonship, and by Him we cry, 'Abba, Father.' The Spirit himself testifies with our Spirit that we are God's children.

(01:15:17)
Now, if we are children, then we are heirs, heirs of God and coheirs with Christ. If indeed we share His sufferings in order that we may also share in His glory. I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing to the glory that will be revealed in us. That's why I'm convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers either height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus, our Lord." The Word of the Lord.

Speaker 10 (01:15:59):

Thanks be to God.

Lester Holt (01:16:30):

We are going to hear now from Steven Ford who will deliver a eulogy written by his father, President Ford.

Savannah Guthrie (01:16:41):

They were political, became close friends, and had that lifetime bond and spent time together and got to know each other. And so, it's this tribute of honor that Jimmy Carter requested and will be read by former President Ford's son.

Steven Ford (01:17:44):

Before I start, the Carter children, my wife and I were sitting several rows behind you and we were praying for you. And I was humbly reminded that it was 18 years ago, almost to the day that our family sat in that very row and supporting my mom. And it was your dad and his great faith that supported my mom and gave her hope that week. He traveled with us for several days and we were blessed. So, thank you. God did a good thing when he made your dad. Jack, Chip, Jeff, Amy, Mr. President, Madam Vice President, former presidents, first ladies, members of the House of Representatives and the Senate, Justices of the Supreme Court, distinguished guest, ladies and gentlemen, in the twilight of my dad's life, dad and President Carter spoke by phone and dad asked President Carter if he would do a eulogy at dad's funeral. President Carter graciously agreed, and then he also asked if dad would deliver a eulogy at President Carter's funeral. Now, dad was thrilled to agree. After that call, as you can imagine, both of them got off the phone and had a pretty good chuckle considering which one of them would return in person to deliver that second eulogy. As you know, dad died in 2006 and President Carter's eulogy continues to bring comfort, smile, laughter, joy, pride to our family. And thus, on behalf of my dad, it's an honor to share dad's eulogy to his old friend. I can just see my dad getting his yellow legal pad out with his pen and writing this for his beloved friend.

(01:20:31)
"By fate of a brief season, Jimmy Carter and I were rivals, but for the many wonderful years that followed, friendship bonded us as No two presidents since John Adams and Thomas Jefferson. It has said that President Adams last words were Thomas Jefferson still survives. Now, since Jimmy has a good decade on me, I'm hedging my bets by entrusting my remembrances of Jimmy to my son, Steven. According to a map, it's a long way between Grand Rapids, Michigan, and Plains, Georgia, but distances have a way of vanishing when measured in values rather than miles. And it was because of our shared values that Jimmy and I respected each other as adversaries even before we cherished one another as dear friends. Now, this is not to say that Jimmy never got under my skin, but has there ever been a group of politicians that didn't do that to one another? During our 1976 contest, Jimmy knew my political vulnerabilities and he successfully pointed them out. Now, I didn't like it, but little could I know that the outcome of that 1976 election would bring about one of my deepest and most enduring friendships.

(01:22:22)
In the summer of 1981, the two of us found ourselves together again, this time aboard Air Force One bound for the funeral of the great peacemaker Anwar Sadat. There's an old line to the effect that two presidents in a room is one too many. Frankly, I wondered how awkward that long flight might be to Cairo and it was a long flight, but the return trip was not nearly long enough, for it was somewhere over the Atlantic that Jimmy and I forged a friendship that transcends politics. We immediately decided to exercise one of the privileges of a former president, forgetting that either one of us had ever said any harsh words about the other one in the heat of battle, then we got onto much more enjoyable subjects, discussing our families, our faith, and sharing our experiences and discovering that there is indeed life after the White House. We commiserated over the high cost of building presidential libraries, and the even more regrettable fact that most of that fundraising for these otherwise admirable institutions fell to us personally.

(01:24:04)
On the spot, we agreed to participate in programs at each other's library, beginning with a series of conferences on arms control. And if that wasn't newsworthy enough, we told reporters on the plane that a lasting Middle East peace would require the United States to make tough decisions like confronting the Palestinian issue directly, thereby building on the work to which President Sadat had literally given his life. It was the first time, but by no means the last time that our unlikely partnership ruffled feathers in the Washington establishment. Now, honesty and truth-telling were synonymous with the name Jimmy Carter. Those traits were instilled in him by his loving parents, Lillian and Earl Carter, and the strength of his honesty was reinforced by his upbringing in the rural South, poised on the brink of social transformation. He displayed that honesty throughout his life as a naval officer, state legislator, governor, president, and world leader. For Jimmy Carter, honesty was not an aspirational goal. It was part of his very soul.

(01:25:44)
Now, I think Jimmy wrote more books than any former president. Once asked if he really enjoyed writing, he replied with that familiar twinkle in his eye at, "Beats picking cotton." But I think he enjoyed writing for another reason. As an author, he was under no pressure to tailor his opinions to some political constituency or potential contributor. Now, both of us had experienced the harsh reality that defeat at the polls can be painful, but we also came to know a more important consequence, political defeat and writing can also be liberating if it frees you to discuss topics that aren't necessarily consistent with short-term political popularity. Now, Jimmy learned early on that it was not enough merely to bear witness and pew on a Sunday morning. Inspired by his faith, he pursued brotherhood across boundaries of nationhood, across boundaries of tradition, across boundaries of caste. In America's urban neighborhoods and in a rural villages around the world, he reminded us that Christ had been a carpenter, and in third world villages, he successfully campaigned not for votes, but for the eradication of diseases that shamed the developed world as they ravaged the undeveloped world.

(01:27:30)
Now, of course, not all of Jimmy's time was spent building houses, eradicating disease, brokering ceasefires, monitoring elections. While Jimmy is probably the only former president to conduct a weekly Bible class, I know for certain he's the only former president to perform a duet of On the Road Again with Willie Nelson. Georgia wasn't just on Jimmy's mind, it was in his blood. However far he traveled, he never forgot where he came home to or where now, in the end, he would finally come home to. Of the many things Jimmy and I had in common, the most important is this. We both married way above ourselves, way above. With Jimmy, every step of the way was his first lady from Plains and a life rich with blessings. None was greater for Jimmy than the love he shared with Rosalynn and the love of the two of them shared with their children, grandchildren, great-grandchildren. Like Jimmy, Rosalynn was and is a symbol of American compassion.

(01:29:11)
Like no other first lady in our history, Rosalynn Carter is indeed a true citizen of the world, and she became a beloved friend to my wife, Betty, and me, and to all the Ford family. While the Carter and Ford men were decidedly mixed record when it came to lobbying Congress, Rosalynn and Betty were unbeatable in their advocacy for millions of people whom they brought out of the shadows of despair and shame. Now is a time to say goodbye, our grief comforted with the joy and the thanksgiving of knowing this man, this beloved man, this very special man. He was given the gift of years and the American people and the people of the world will be forever blessed by his decades of good works. Jimmy Carter's legacy of peace and compassion will remain unique as it is timeless. The entire Ford family, we extend our love to you and we add our prayers to the prayers of tens of millions of people around the world.

(01:30:47)
May God bless and watch over this good man. May he grant peace to the Carter family as they say goodbye to a man whose life was lived to the fullest with a faith demonstrated and countless good works with a mission richly fulfilled and a soul rewarded with everlasting life. As for myself, Jimmy, I'm looking forward to our reunion. We have much to catch up on. Thank you, Mr. President. Welcome home, old friend."

Savannah Guthrie (01:31:37):

A moving tribute to President Carter from his former political rival, and then lifelong friend, Former President Gerald Ford who died 18 years ago in a late December, as President Carter did just a few weeks ago, and that eulogy written decades ago, and read eloquently by his son. And coming up next, we're going to hear from Ted Mondale, the son of Vice President Walter Mondale, who of course served alongside the 39th president, and who also has written a eulogy that he did not live to deliver himself, but we'll hear his words in the National Cathedral as living presidents look on in this historic moment.

Ted Mondale (00:00):

Ted Mondale (01:33:02):

My father wrote this in 2015 and clearly he edited it a couple times since then, but here we go. Today we join in sadness to honor our dear friend, President Carter, for his extraordinary years of principled and decent leadership and his courageous commitment to civil rights and human rights. I remember the emergence of Jimmy Carter on the national stage, in particular his 1971 inaugural address. For the first time, a Georgia governor called for a commitment to the traditions of Martin Luther King Jr., and for the decency that his leadership stood for over his lifetime. I was surprised when then candidate Carter asked me to join him as his running mate in 1976. He amazed me then as he has every year since. He, of course, was brilliant, he also had a great sense of humor, and while we had only four years in the White House, he achieved so much in that time. It stood as a marker for Americans dedicated to justice and decency.

(01:34:28)
Carter was a man of his word. I remember when he talked about the concept of the vice presidency. I told him I'd like to do it and had only two requests. I wanted to make a real contribution and I didn't want to be embarrassed as many of my predecessors have. He agreed, welcomed my full participation and directed his staff to treat me as they would him. He was very careful to protect me from the frustration and, too often, humiliation had cursed the lives of many vice presidents. I want to thank the President for the good choices he made with his key personnel. We don't have time to mention many of them, but Stu Eizenstat comes as close as possible to rivaling President Carter's formidable work ethic. Hamilton Jordan and Jody Powell were blessings every day, to me, to the president and to the nation.

(01:35:43)
One of the things that dawned on me during the course of our time together is how well we worked together and how we understood each other. I think one of the realities was that Carter was a devout Christian who grew up in a small town and was active in his faith for almost every moment of his life. I was also a small town kid who grew up in a Methodist church where my dad was a preacher, and our faith was core to me as Carter's faith was core to him. That common commitment to our faith created a bond between us that allowed us to understand each other and find ways to work together. He allowed me to take a leadership role on issues that never would've happened before. For instance, he directed and trusted me to take a central role in trying to bring decency to the Vietnamese and Southeast Asian boat people who were fleeing their country. With President Carter's orders, the boat people were picked up by our great Navy from their flimsy boats, which were capsizing, and taken to safety. Most became good American citizens working for a healthy and prosperous nation.

(01:37:06)
Joan loved her time as a Second Lady, and we have Jimmy and Rosalyn to thank for helping her champion the public arts and for just being so kind to her. These were good years for Joan and I. President Carter and I became very close friends. We often spent hours together throughout the day. We were working on real problems, not wasting time. The personal relationship we established while in office continued throughout our life. Carter was farsighted. He put aside his short-term political interests to tackle challenges that demanded sacrifice, to protect our kids and grandkids from future harm. Very few people in the 1970s had heard the term climate change, yet Carter put his presidency on the line to pass laws to conserve energy, deregulate new oil and gas prices, and invest in clean, renewable alternatives to fossil fuels. It wasn't a perfect program, but thanks to President Carter, U.S energy consumption declined by 10% between 1979 and 1983. In many ways, he laid the foundation for future presidents to come to grips with climate change.

(01:38:44)
Some thought he was crazy to fight so hard to pass these laws, but he was dead right and we know that now. We also know that President Carter elevated human rights to the top of his agenda. Sometimes we forget how seriously he pushed to advance the rights of women. He proposed and signed the law extending the period for states to approve the equal Rights Amendment. He appointed women to head the Departments of Commerce, Education, HUD and what is now HEW. Women on his White House staff played crucial roles in developing his highest priority energy and environmental proposals, and he dramatically increased the ranks of female circuit and district court judges, including Ruth Bader Ginsburg. In all, he appointed five times as many women to the federal bench as all of the previous presidents had from the beginning of our country. Two decades ago, president Carter said he believed income inequality was the biggest global issue. More recently, in a 2018 commencement address at Liberty University, he said, "I think now the largest global issue is the discrimination against women and girls in this world." He concluded that, "Until stubborn attitudes that foster discrimination against women change, the world cannot advance and poverty and income equality cannot be solved." Towards the end of our time in the White House, the President and I were talking about how we might describe what we tried to accomplish in office. We came up with a sentence which remains an important summary of our work. We told the truth, we obeyed the law, and we kept the peace. That we did, Mr. President. I'll always be proud and grateful to have had the chance to work with you towards noble ends. It was then and will always be the most rewarding experience of my public career. Thank you.

Speaker 11 (01:41:24):

We will hear next from Stuart Eizenstat, Chief Domestic Policy advisor to President Carter.

Stuart Eizenstat (01:47:30):

Jimmy Carter was as close to being a renaissance man as any president entering the Oval Office in modern times. He was skilled in an astonishing array of activities; farmer, businessman, nuclear engineer, naval submarine officer, woodworker, painter, fly fisherman, music lover, poet, author, Sunday school teacher, creator of the Carter Center, and yes, loving husband, father, grandfather, and great-grandfather, and Nobel Peace Prize winner. Behind that toothy smile was a man of steel determination, discipline, and self-confidence. In 1974 when he was governor of Georgia, I suggested that if he ran for president and won a few southern primaries, he might get lucky and be the vice presidential nominee for regional ballots. With his broadest grin, he said, "Stu, I've already decided to run, but I will be the Democratic nominee for president, not vice president."

(01:48:56)
For one of our nation's most religious presidents, it's appropriate to celebrate Jimmy Carter's remarkable life in this magnificent cathedral. His religious values gave him an unshakable sense of right and wrong, animating his support for civil rights at home and human rights abroad, and propelling him to major achievements as the only democratic president elected between 1968 and 1992, his faith brought integrity to the presidency after the Watergate and Vietnam eras. "I'll never lie to you," He promised. It was a vow he fulfilled. But his faith respected other religions as well. He was the first president to light a Hanukkah menorah. He created the U.S Holocaust Memorial Museum, which I have the honor of sharing. He had a kosher Shabbat dinner at Camp David for the Israeli delegation and came to our house for a Passover Seder only weeks after he negotiated the treaty between Israel and Egypt.

(01:50:21)
As we lay our 39th president to rest, it's time to redeem his presidency and also lay to rest the myth that his greatest achievements came only as a former president. The test of American presidents is not the number of years they serve, but the duration of their accomplishments. By this measure, Jimmy Carter was among the most consequential one-term presidents in American history. His intellect, prodigious work habits, discipline, and mastery of details were crucial to his success at home and abroad. President Carter parked politics at the Oval Office door to do what he believed was the right thing, taking controversial challenges on regardless of the political consequences, and frankly, there were many. Much of his agenda passed with bipartisan support, a quaint notion in today's hyper-polarized politics. Independent surveys indicated he had one of the highest success rates in passing his major legislation of any American president, and he was remarkably accessible to the press and to the American people.

(01:51:51)
This president from the deepest part of the deep South championed civil rights, appointing more people of color and women to senior executive positions and judgeships than all previous 38 presidents before him. He created the Department of Education and dramatically increased funding for low and moderate income students, and we can thank him for all the ethics and government laws, comprehensive civil service reform, the creation of FEMA to coordinate natural disaster relief and rebuilding that remain crucially important today, and we see it in Los Angeles. Jimmy Carter was also the greatest environmental president since Theodore Roosevelt, adding 80 million acres in Alaska to the National Park System, and his global 2000 report forecast climate change. His energy bills were critical to move our country from dependence on foreign oil to energy security. We are now, as a result, the largest oil and gas producer in the world. He provided the first incentives for conservation and inaugurated the era of clean energy and symbolized it with solar panels he installed on the White House roof. Underappreciated at the time, but now widely recognized by Republicans and Democrats alike, President Carter was the great de-regulator, winning legislative battles to loosen the regulatory bonds and shackles on airlines, thereby democratizing air travel on trucking and rails, therefore helping our supply chains be more efficient. Telecommunications leading to the cable TV era and even the beer industry which encouraged local craft beers. And he did so without compromising health and safety. These laid the foundations for today's innovative economy. Nothing better embodies President Carter than how he dealt with the inflation that beleaguered the nation under three presidents, two Republican, Nixon, Ford and himself, during the 1970s. Over the objection of all of his advisors, he chose Paul Volcker to lead the Federal Reserve, knowing in advance that Volcker's tough monetary policy would raise interest rates and unemployment because Paul told him that and would do so in a presidential election year.

(01:54:50)
"You take care of the economy, Paul, I'll take care of the politics." Inflation indeed dropped like a rock after he left office and remained low for decades. Abroad, Jimmy Carter laid the building blocks for a better world. He was the first president to make human rights a priority for US foreign policy, and this led directly to the release of thousands of political prisoners in Latin America, and stimulated them to a lasting democratic transition. He ushered in a new era of hemispheric relations with the Panama Canal treaties, the toughest legislative battle of his presidency. He uniquely combined the soft power of human rights, championing freedom for the communist, East Bloc countries, and tripling the emigration of Soviet Jews. He combined that with hard power, rebuilding America's military strength after its post-Watergate decline. He negotiated a major nuclear arms treaty with the Soviets, while at the same time initiated every single weapons system that came online in the 1980s. Those new weapons helped end the Cold War.

(01:56:22)
He normalized relations with China, and even his critics applauded his tough measures after the Soviets invaded Afghanistan. Jimmy Carter's most lasting achievement, and the one I think he was most proud of, was to bring the first peace to the Middle East through the greatest act of personal diplomacy in American history, the Camp David Accords. For 13 days and nights, he negotiated with Israel's Menachem Begin and Egypt's Anwar Sadat, personally drafting more than 20 peace proposals and shuttling them between the Israeli and Egyptian delegations. And he saved the agreement at the 11th hour, and it was the 11th hour, by appealing to Begin's love of his grandchildren. For the past 45 years, the Egypt-Israel Peace Treaty has never been violated and laid the foundation for the Abraham Accords. On the other side of the ledger was Iran. Jimmy Carter did not lose Iran, the Shah did. But the hostage crisis was a major factor in denying him a second term despite his support for the Shah because he placed the safe return of the hostages above his own political fortunes. He took full responsibility for the failure of the bold hostage rescue mission and worked tirelessly, even after his bitter re-election defeat to Ronald Reagan, securing their release on the last day of his presidency.

(01:58:14)
In the end, Jimmy Carter taught all of us how to live a life fulfilled with faith and service. He said, "I have one life to live, I feel like God wants me to do the best I can do with it, to let me live my life so that it will be meaningful." Well, Mr. President, you've more than achieved that goal. He may not be a candidate for Mount Rushmore, but he belongs in the foothills of making the U.S stronger, and the world safer. Jimmy Carter has earned his place in heaven, but just as he was free with sometimes unsolicited advice for his presidential successors, the Lord of all creation should be ready for Jimmy's recommendations on how to make God's realm a more peaceful place.

Savannah Guthrie (01:59:34):

Stu Eizenstat, former senior advisor to President Carter with the eulogy, hoping to redeem some aspects of Carter's legacy. Many people have talked about the significance and importance of his post-presidency and his former top advisor of domestic policy in the Carter White House, wanting to remind the audience of his many accomplishments while in office to include, of course, the Camp David Accords and the SALT II Treaty.

Speaker 11 (02:00:02):

But there was certainly a frankness about some of the challenges of the Carter administration.

Savannah Guthrie (02:00:06):

And we're going to hear from Jason Carter, grandson of President Carter, and of course the chair of the Carter Center Board of Trustees.

Jason Carter (02:00:12):

In my church, we sing a song that says, "From the moment that I wake up until I lay my head, I will sing of the goodness of God." I don't know how many people in here can say that, I know I can't, but my grandfather certainly can. From the moment that he woke up until he laid his head, his life was a testament to the goodness of God, and I thank all of you for being here to celebrate this life. To the Presidents and first ladies, it is a great honor to have you here. You know the human side of the American presidency like no others, and we appreciate you. To the vice presidents, other distinguished guests and friends of all kinds, thank you for being here. To those of you who came from all across the world, thank you for being here to celebrate and pay tribute to my grandfather.

(02:01:50)
I say grandfather, but we called him Papa, as many of you know. We called my grandmother mom Carter, so we spent our time talking about mom and Papa. And mostly, speaking of the human side of the presidency, just letting people know that they were regular folks. Yes, they spent four years in the governor's mansion and four years at the White House, but the other 92 years they spent at home in Plains, Georgia, and one of the best ways to demonstrate that they were regular folks is to take them by that home. First of all, it looks like they might've built it themselves. Second of all, my grandfather was likely to show up at the door in some seventies short shorts and Crocs, and then you'd walk in the house and it was like thousands of other grandparents' house all across the south, fishing trophies on the walls, the refrigerator, of course, was papered with pictures of grandchildren and then great-grandchildren.

(02:02:57)
Their main phone, of course, had a cord and was stuck to the wall in the kitchen like a museum piece, and demonstrating their depression-era roots, they had a little rack next to the sink where they would hang Ziploc bags to dry. And demonstrating that they changed with the times, eventually he did get a cell phone, and one time he called me sort of early on in that process and on my phone it said Papa mobile, so I answered it of course. I said, "Hey Papa." He said, "Who's this?" I said, "This is Jason." He said, "What are you doing?" I said, "I'm not doing anything. You called me." He said, "I didn't call you, I'm taking a picture." Nuclear engineer, right? I mean… They were small town people who never forgot who they were

Jason Carter (02:04:00):

And where they were from, no matter what happened in their lives. But I recognize that we are not here because he was just a regular guy. As you've heard from the other speakers, his political life and his presidency for me was not just ahead of its time, it was prophetic. He had the courage and strength to stick to his principles even when they were politically unpopular. As governor of Georgia half a century ago, he preached an end to racial discrimination and an end to mass incarceration. As president in the 1970s, as you've heard, he protected more land than any other president in history. 50 years ago, he was a climate warrior who pushed for a world where we conserved energy, limited emissions and traded our reliance on fossil fuels for expanded renewable sources. And by the way, he cut the deficit, wanted to decriminalize marijuana, deregulated so many industries that he gave us cheap flights and as you heard, craft beer. Basically all of those years ago, he was the first millennial and he could make great playlists as we've heard as well.

(02:05:26)
Maybe this is unbelievable to you, but in my 49 years, I never perceived a difference between his public face and his private one. He was the same person no matter who he was with or where he was. And for me, that's the definition of integrity. That honesty was matched by love. It was matched by faith and in both public and private, my grandparents did fundamentally live their lives in an effort, as the Bible says, to do justice, love, mercy and walk humbly with their God.

(02:06:08)
Sometimes I feel and felt like I shared my grandfather with the world. Today is one of those days. But really he shared the world with me. The power of an atom, the beauty and complexity of a South Georgia forest. When we fished, he celebrated the majesty of everything from the smallest minnow to that grand circulation of waters. And he shared this love with my boys, taking these Atlanta public school kids out into the fields to show them about row crops and wild plums.

(02:06:46)
In the end, his life is a love story and of course, it's a love story about Jimmy and Rosalynn and their 77 years of marriage and service. As the song says, they were the flagship of the fleet and rest assured that in these last weeks, he told us that he was ready to see her again. But his life was also a broader love story about love for his fellow humans and about living out the commandment to love your neighbor as yourself. I believe that that love is what taught him and told him to preach the power of human rights. Not just for some people, but for all people. It focused him on the power and the promise of democracy. Its love for freedom, its requirement and founding belief in the wisdom of regular people raising their voices and the requirement that you respect all of those voices, not just some.

(02:07:49)
That conviction made him a naval officer who believed and demonstrated, as you've heard, that the greatest power of America was not the military, but its values. And those values were personal to him and he lived them both publicly and privately. As you heard Stu say, as president, he gave voice to dissidents, stood up to dictators, brought countries together in peace. His heart broke for the people of Israel. It broke for the people of Palestine and he spent his life trying to bring peace to that holy land, and he talked about it at the dinner table. It was the same in public as it was in private. And for the last 40 years, as you've heard, he spent his time living out that love and that faith alongside the poorest and most marginalized people in the world. And that work, again, has been based fundamentally on love and respect.

(02:08:55)
The Carter Center has 3,500 employees, but only a couple hundred in the United States. The rest are spread throughout the countries where we work. Ethiopia, South Sudan, Chad, Bangladesh and all of the Carter Center's programs are based on a respect, that same respect for the power of regular people, even if they are in tiny villages miles from anywhere else.

(02:09:23)
To give one example, we've all heard a lot lately about Guinea worm disease. It's an ancient and debilitating disease of poverty and that disease will have existed from the dawn of humanity until Jimmy Carter. When he started working on this disease, there were three and a half million cases in humans every year. Last year, there were 14 and the thing that's remarkable is that this disease is not eliminated with medicine. It's eliminated essentially by neighbors talking to neighbors about how to collect water in the poorest and most marginalized villages in the world. And those neighbors truly were my grandfather's partners for the last 40 years. And as this disease has been eliminated in every village in Nigeria, every village in Sudan or Uganda, what's left behind in those tiny 600 person villages is an army of Jimmy and Rosalynn Carters who have demonstrated their own power to change their world.

(02:10:28)
And that is a fundamental truth about my grandfather. It begins where it ends. When he saw a tiny 600 person village that everybody else thinks of as poor, he recognized it. That's where he was from. That's who he was, and he never saw it as a place to send pity. It was always a place to find partnership and power and a place to carry out that commandment to love your neighbor as yourself. Essentially, he eradicated a disease with love and respect. He waged peace with love and respect. He led this nation with love and respect. To me, this life was a love story from the moment that he woke up until he laid his head.

(02:11:20)
I'll conclude with this. As Andy Young told me, he may be gone, but he has not gone far. The outpouring of love and support that we have felt from you and from around the world has showed how many lives he has touched and how his spirit will live on in many ways for us. He'll be in the kitchen making pancakes or in his wood shop finishing a cradle for a great-grandchild, or standing in a trout stream with Mom Carter or for me, just walking those Georgia fields and forests where he's from. Thank you.

Speaker 12 (02:12:32):

A beautiful eulogy by Jason Carter, a stirring tribute to his grandfather, tapping the casket as he returned to his seat. We will now hear Amazing Grace.

Phyllis Adams (02:14:19):

Amazing grace, how sweet the sound that saved a wretch like me. I once was lost but now am found. Was blind but now I see. T'was grace that taught my heart to feel and grace my fears relieved. How precious did that grace appear the hour I first believed. Through many dangers, toils and snares I have already come. T'was grace that brought us safe thus far and grace will lead me home. And grace will lead me home.

Speaker 12 (02:16:56):

A beautiful rendition of Amazing Grace. We talked about the personal touches that the Carters themselves chose for this service. Phyllis Adams, the Soprano we see there met the Carters at a 2017 event. She was a long time Delta flight attendant. They were so impressed they asked her to sing at the President's funeral. And now the 44th President of the United States, a long time friend and colleague of President Carter's will now Eulogize the 39th President of the United States,

President Biden (02:17:38):

Leaders of the clergy, distinguished guests, most importantly the Carter family, in April 2021, Jill and I visited Jimmy and Rosalynn on a warm spring day down in Plains, Georgia. We wanted to see them. Rosalynn met us at the front door with her signature smile. Together, we entered a home that they had shared for almost 77 years of marriage, an unassuming red brick, ranch home that reflects their modesty more than any trappings of power. We walked into the living room where Jimmy greeted us like family. That day, just the four of us sat in the living room and shared memories that spanned almost six decades, a deep friendship that started in 1974. I was a 31-year-old senator and I was the first senator outside of Georgia, maybe the first senator to endorse his candidacy for president.

(02:18:55)
It was an endorsement based on what I believe is Jimmy Carter's enduring attribute, character, character, character. Because of that character I believe is destiny. Destiny in our lives and quite frankly, destiny in the life of the nation. It's an accumulation of a million things built on character that leads to a good life in a decent country. Life of purpose, life of meaning.

(02:19:38)
Now, how do we find that good life? What does it look like? What does it take to build character? Do the ends justify the means? Jimmy Carter's friendship taught me, and through his life taught me, the strength of character is more than title or the power we hold. It's the strength to understand that everyone should be treated with dignity and respect. That everyone, and I mean everyone, deserves an even shot. Not a guarantee, but just a shot. You know, we have an obligation to give hate no safe harbor and to stand up to what my dad used say is the greatest sin of all, the abuse of power.

(02:20:42)
That's not about being perfect because none of us are perfect. We're all fallible. But it's about asking ourselves, are we striving to do the right things? What are the values that animate our spirit? Do we operate from fear or hope? Ego or generosity? Do we show grace? Do we keep the faith when it's most tested? For keeping the faith with the best of humankind and the best of America is a story, in my view, from my perspective, Jimmy Carter's life.

(02:21:27)
The story of a man, to state the obvious, you've heard today from the great, great eulogies who came from a house without running water or electricity, and rose to the pinnacle of power. A story of a man who was at once driven and devoted to making real the words of his savior and the ideals of this nation. The story of a man who never let the tides of politics divert him from his mission to serve and shape the world.

(02:22:11)
The man had character. Jimmy held a deep Christian faith in God and that his candidacy spoke and wrote about faith as a substance of things hoped for and evidence of the things not seen. Faith founded on commandments of scripture. Love the Lord thy God with all thy heart and all thy mind and all thy soul, and love thy neighbor as thyself. Easy to say, but very, very difficult to do. In this life, any walk of faith can be difficult. It can be lonely, but it requires action to be the doers of the world. But in that commandment lies the essence, in my view, found in the gospel, found in many faith traditions and found in the very idea of America. Because the very journey of our nation is a walk of sheer faith to do the work, to be the country we say we are, to be the country we say we want to be. A nation where we all are created equal in the image of God and deserve to be treated equally throughout our lives.

(02:23:48)
We've never fully lived up to that idea of America. We've never walked away from it either because of Patriots like Jimmy Carter. Throughout his life, he showed us what it means to be a practitioner of good works and a good and faithful servant of God and of the people. And today, many think he was from a bygone era, but in reality, he saw well into the future. A white southern Baptist who led in civil rights, a decorated navy veteran who brokered peace, a brilliant nuclear engineer who led a nuclear nonproliferation, a hardworking farmer who championed conservation and clean energy and a President who redefined the relationship with the Vice President.

(02:24:56)
Jimmy and I often talked about our dear friend, Walter Mondale, whom we all miss very much to. Together, they formed a model partnership of collaboration and trust because both were men of character. And as you all know, Jimmy Carter also established a model post-presidency by making a powerful difference as a private citizen in America. And I might add, as you all know, around the world. Through it all, he showed us how character and faith start with ourselves and then flows to others.

(02:25:39)
At our best, we share the better parts of ourselves. Joy, solidarity, love, commitment. Not for reward, but in reverence for the incredible gift of life we've all been granted. To make every minute of our time here on earth count, that's the definition of a good life. A life Jimmy Carter lived during his 100 years.

(02:26:16)
To young people, to anyone in search of meaning and purpose, study the power of Jimmy Carter's example. I miss him, but I take solace in knowing that he and his beloved Rosalynn are reunited again. And to the entire Carter family, thank you, and I mean this sincerely, for sharing them both with America and the world. We love you all.

(02:26:54)
Jill and I will cherish our visits with them, including that last one in their home. We saw Jimmy as he always was, at peace with a life fully lived. A good life, a purpose and meaning of character, driven by destiny and filled with the power of faith, hope and love. I'll say it again. Faith, hope and love. As he returned to Plains, Georgia for his final resting place, we can say goodbye in the words of the Prophet Micah, who Jimmy so admired until his final breath. Jimmy Carter did justly, loved mercy, walked humbly. May God bless a great American and a dear friend and a good man. May he be raised up on eagle's wings and buried on the breath of dawn and make you to shine like the sun and hold you in the palm of his hand. God bless you. Jimmy Carter.

Speaker 12 (02:28:22):

President Biden, speaking of the moral goodness of Jimmy Carter. In a moment we'll hear from James Carter, the grandson of the late president. He will deliver a reading from the book of Matthew.

James Carter (02:29:52):

A reading from the gospel according to Saint Matthew. "Now, when Jesus saw the crowds, he went up on a mountainside and sat down. His disciples came to him and he began to teach them, saying, 'Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted. Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth. Blessed are those who hunger and thirst, for righteousness, for they will be filled. Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy. Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God. Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called sons of God. Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. Rejoice and be glad because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you. You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything except to be thrown out and trampled by men.

(02:31:26)
You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead, they put it on its stand and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before men that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven.'" The word of the Lord.

Crowd (02:31:49):

[inaudible 02:31:57].

Savannah Guthrie (02:31:56):

Gospel reading from James Carter, the grandson of President Carter. The most famous passages from the Bible, the Sermon on the Mount and these verses and hymns, again chosen by President Carter and former First Lady Rosalynn Carter. In a moment, we're going to hear the homily for this service. The Reverend Andrew Young, the former United States Ambassador to the United Nations preaching on Ephesians today.

Rev. Andrew Young (02:33:05):

The Apostle Paul in writing to the Ephesians, the fourth chapter of the 32nd verse. "Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other just as in Christ, God forgave you." Jimmy Carter, for me, was something of a miracle. I was born in the deep south shortly a few years after him, and it was always a place of miracles. I couldn't see how we could have had the differences in background, the coming from different places on the planet, the experiences of slave and slave owner, the diversity of color and creed and national origin and still become the great nation that we are in the United States of America. It was something of a miracle, and I don't mean this with any disrespect, but it's still hard for me to understand how you could get to be president from Plains, Georgia.

Rev. Andrew Young (02:35:03):

I knew Plains from my pastorate in Thomasville, Georgia, about 60, 70 miles south of there. And I was even nervous driving through Plains and Plains and Sumter County gave us one of the meanest experiences that we had in the Civil Rights movement. So much so that Martin Luther King said that the sheriff of Plains of Sumter County, he really thought was the meanest man in the world. And when I first met Jimmy Carter running for governor and said, "The only thing I know about Plains and Sumter County is Fred Chapel." And he said, "Oh yes, he's one of my good friends." And that was the last thing I wanted to hear.

(02:36:11)
And yet time and time again, I saw in him the ability to achieve greatness by the diversity of his personality and his upbringing. Dr. King used to say that greatness is characterized by antitheses, strongly marked. You've got to have a tough mind and a tender heart. And that was Jimmy Carter and he grew up in the tremendous diversity of the south and he embraced both sides. He was a minority in Sumter County. Just about 20, 25% of the population was white. But growing up as a minority, he became the friend of the majority.

(02:37:24)
And when he went to the Naval Academy, he asked that his roommate be the first black midshipman to come to Annapolis. And he said, "I know minorities. I've been a minority most of my life and maybe I can help him in his adjustments." And he went out of his way to embrace those of us who had grown up in all kinds of conflict. But that was the sensitivity, the spirituality that made James Earl Carter a truly great president. James Earl Carter was truly a child of God. Not only a good farmer, but a nuclear physicist chosen by Admiral Rickover to assist him in developing a nuclear navy. But at the same time, he was working on a nuclear navy he was thinking of peace on earth and goodwill toward all men, and especially women and children.

(02:38:59)
I've known President Carter for more than half of my life, and I never cease to be surprised. I never cease to be enlightened. I never cease to be inspired by the little deeds of love and mercy that he shared with us every day of his life. It was President James Earl Carter that for me symbolized the greatness of the United States of America. And I am truly grateful for him because in spite of the harshness of the depression and the explosions of inflation, he never wavered from his commitment to God Almighty and his love of all of God's children.

(02:40:06)
Jimmy Carter was a blessing that helped to create a great United States of America. And for all of us and many who are not able to be here, I want to say thank you. You have been a blessing from God and your spirit will remain with us. And as Jason said, "He may be gone, but he ain't gone far." Thank you, President Carter and thank you Almighty God.

Lester Holt (02:40:55):

Andrew Young, former mayor of Atlanta and U.N. Ambassador under President Carter. The musical selections have been nothing less than eclectic, I think is how some have described it today. We'll next expect to hear from Garth Brooks and Tricia Yearwood, singing Imagine.

Garth Brooks (02:41:57):

Imagine there's no heaven, easy if you try.

(02:42:04)
No hell below us, above us only sky.

(02:42:04)
Imagine all the people living for today.

(02:42:04)
Imagine there's no country, it isn't hard to do.

(02:42:04)
Nothing to kill or die for, no religion, too.

(02:42:04)
Imagine all the people living life in peace.

(02:42:04)
You, you may say I'm a dreamer, but I'm not the only one.

(02:42:04)
I hope someday you'll join us and world will be one.

(02:42:04)
Imagine no possessions, I wonder if you can.

(02:42:04)
No need for greed or hunger, a brotherhood of man.

(02:42:04)
Imagine all the people sharing all the world.

(02:42:04)
You, you may say I'm a dreamer, but I'm not the only one.

(02:42:04)
I hope someday you'll join us, and the world will live as one.

Savannah Guthrie (02:44:52):

Garth Brooks and Tricia Yearwood, who befriended the former president working for Habitat Humanity, singing one of his favorite songs, Imagine, the 1971 anthem to peace and equality and a vision for a better world that Jimmy Carter, of course, dedicated his life to. And as we continue to watch this service in its final moments, we'll hear The Lord's Prayer, other prayers, and commendations. Let's Listen

Jason Carter (02:45:18):

Our Father, who art in Heaven, hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come, thy will be done on Earth as it is in Heaven. Give us this day our daily bread and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those trespassed against us. And lead not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory forever and ever. Amen.

Rev. Anthony Lowden (02:46:21):

For our brother James, let us pray to our Lord Jesus Christ who said, "I am the resurrection and I am life." Lord, you consoled Martha and Mary in their distress, draw near to us who mourn for James and dry the tears of those who weep.

Jason Carter (02:46:41):

Hear us, Lord.

Rev. Anthony Lowden (02:46:46):

You weep at the grave of Lazarus, your friend. Comfort us in our sorrow.

Jason Carter (02:46:52):

Hear us, Lord.

Rev. Anthony Lowden (02:46:56):

You raised the dead to life. Give to our brother eternal life.

Jason Carter (02:47:02):

Hear us, Lord.

Rev. Anthony Lowden (02:47:05):

You promised paradise to the thief who repented. Bring our brother to joys of Heaven.

Jason Carter (02:47:13):

Hear us, Lord.

Rev. Anthony Lowden (02:47:16):

Our brother was washed in baptism and anointed with the Holy Spirit. Give him fellowship with all your saints.

Jason Carter (02:47:26):

Hear us, Lord.

Rev. Anthony Lowden (02:47:29):

Lord, comfort us in our sorrows at the death of our brother. Let our faith be our constellation and eternal life, our hope.

Jason Carter (02:47:41):

Hear us, Lord.

Speaker 15 (02:47:49):

Father of all, we pray to you for James and for all those whom we love, but see no longer. Grant to them, eternal rest. Let light perpetual shine upon them. May his soul and the souls of all the departed through the mercy of God, rest in peace.

Jason Carter (02:48:12):

Amen.

Speaker 14 (02:49:37):

Give rest, oh Christ, to your servant with your saints.

Jason Carter (02:49:41):

Where sorrow and pain are no more. Neither sighing, but life everlasting.

Speaker 15 (02:49:50):

You only are immortal, the creator and maker of humankind. And we are mortal, formed of the earth and to earth shall we return. For so did you ordain when you created me saying, "You are dust and to dust you shall return." All of us go down to the dust. Yet even at the grave we make our song, "Alleluia, Alleluia, Alleluia."

Jason Carter (02:50:24):

Give rest, oh Christ, to your servant with your saints, where sorrow and pain are no more neither sighing, but life everlasting.

Speaker 13 (02:50:39):

Into your hands, oh merciful Savior, we commend your servant, James. Acknowledge, we humbly beseech you, a sheep of your own fold, a lamb of your own flock, a sinner of your own redeeming. Receive him into the arms of your mercy, into the blessed rest of everlasting peace, and into the glorious company of the saints in light.

Jason Carter (02:51:12):

Amen.

Speaker 13 (02:51:14):

The Lord bless you and keep you. The Lord make his face to shine upon you and be gracious unto you. The Lord lift up his countenance upon you and give you peace.

Jason Carter (02:51:27):

Amen.

Speaker 14 (02:51:27):

Let us go forth in the name of Christ.

Jason Carter (02:51:30):

Thanks be to God.

Lester Holt (02:51:31):

The funeral service for Jimmy Carter now nearing its conclusion. His body will later be taken back to Plains, Georgia, where he will be interred in a private ceremony.

Savannah Guthrie (02:52:26):

And we heard moving tributes from relatives, from former political adversaries, partners, friends about Jimmy Carter as a humble servant, as a visionary, a president ahead of his time in many ways as his grandson eulogized him today. And as the processional goes, we want to bring our panel back in. We have Kristen Welker, moderator of Meet the Press, Hallie Jackson, Kelly O'Donnell, and Kristen, your thoughts as we spend these final moments at the state funeral of President Carter.

Kristen Welker (02:52:58):

Savannah, I think the word that resonates for me is character. You heard President Biden utter that word three separate times. All of these speeches struck me as a tribute to the character of Jimmy Carter as president. In his post presidency, Ted Mondale speaking for his father, Walter Mondale of the seriousness with which he took the relationship between president and vice president, which of course takes on real meaning with President-elect Trump sitting in front of his former vice president, Mike Pence. And we know how fraught their relationship has been.

(02:53:31)
But I think the line that stands out, Savannah, above all was uttered by his grandson, Jason Carter, who said, "For me, Jimmy Carter shows what is possible in a single human life. It was a love story from the moment he woke up until he laid his head." And I think that that theme was ever present throughout this ceremony, his love story with this country, with his beloved wife of 77 years, and really with the world.

Lester Holt (02:53:59):

Let me go to Kelly O'Donnell. Kelly, I look at these things sometimes through the eyes or try to look through the eyes of younger people who weren't alive, certainly when he was president, what this funeral would tell them about this man and the state of the presidency back in the 70s.

Kelly O'Donnell (02:54:16):

Lester, you can measure a life in the length of years and in the breadth of impact. And I think for many people who did not live through the Carter period, today was an updated, revised sense of his story, in his political contributions in political defeat, but most importantly in the gestures that any one of us can do for another. And that his acts of service, his use of his influence, his commitment to his faith, he would say that, "My faith demands that I do whatever I can, whenever I can, wherever I can for as long as I can." And he lived by that. And so I've met people in the community of Plains who needed a new roof and he would make calls and get donations together to get that roof replaced.

(02:55:04)
Met a friend who said he was over for dinner, there was a creaking chair at the table. He walked out of the house with the chair and brought it back, repaired the next day. Simple gestures of one person to another any of us can take into our lives. You don't have to be President of the United States to do that. And so the story of Jimmy Carter is one of service, of love of country. And in this moment, having lived 100 years, people are learning about him and that is a gift as well.

Savannah Guthrie (02:55:36):

I love how Reverend Andrew Young said it in his homily, "Jimmy Carter was something of a miracle," and he later said, "Jimmy Carter was a blessing." And Hallie, his faith is the guiding principle, as I said before, "not just talking the talk, but walking the walk." And that was the guiding force of his life. As his grandson said, "from the moment he woke up to the moment, he laid his head in the ground," and his life followed that trajectory as well.

Hallie Jackson (02:56:02):

It was foundational for him. He talked about after he became sick, he was grounded in his faith and how he never lost hope, how he was even surprised that he was able to be optimistic and hopeful because of his relationship with God and because of his deep faith. For all the pomp and circumstance in this moment as we watch family members attendees file out of the National Cathedral, so much of it today was so personal about Jimmy Carter, the father, the grandfather. You heard Jason Carter talking about a granddad answering the door in Crocs with a landline.

(02:56:32)
You saw those pictures of Amy Carter with tears in her eyes. This is her dad, after all. He is a president, but this is about Jimmy Carter, the man. And so much of that is because that's who Jimmy Carter was. He cared about the people around him, not as dignitaries, but as humans. You think about Walter Mondale, we heard from his son, Jimmy Carter brought his vice presidential candidates to Plains, Georgia because he wanted to see who would interact with the people around him, who would be able to connect with folks in his hometown that was so important to him. And as he heads back to Plains tonight, his final resting place that is something that so many people are carrying with them as we watch President Biden here shaking hands on his way out.

Lester Holt (02:57:07):

Let me just quickly touch base with Craig Melvin right now, who's outside the cathedral. The faces today tell so much history, Craig, the people we've seen file into this cathedral and now leaving.

Craig Melvin (02:57:20):

Oh, Lester, indeed, indeed. So much American history just in the first few rows of the National Cathedral here. From here, Lester, we can tell you that Jimmy Carter's casket, his family and friends will follow behind. They'll head about 14 miles from here to Joint Base Andrews in Maryland. From there, there'll be another smaller ceremony before he has placed aboard Special Air Mission 39. Of course 39 a nod to him being the 39th president of these United States. And from Joint Base Andrews the flight back down to Georgia.

(02:57:55)
There'll be another service there in Georgia, the small private service at Maranatha Baptist Church, where of course President Carter taught Sunday school for decades before, during, and after his time in the White House. And then after that service there will be a Taps 21 gun salute and then he will be laid to rest next to his wife of 77 years, Rosalynn Carter. And we're told that you will be able to see his headstone from the front porch of the Carter home there in Plains. Lester.

Lester Holt (02:58:29):

All right, Craig, thanks very much. That concludes this NBC News special report. We'll have a complete wrap-up of today's events tonight on NBC Nightly News and continuing coverage in our streaming network, NBC News NOW and online at nbcnews.com. I'm Lester Holt.

Savannah Guthrie (02:58:45):

And I'm Savannah Guthrie. Glad to have you along with us. Have a good day.