The world’s most exclusive fraternity, the presidents club, will come together on Thursday to honor one of their own. Presidents Bill Clinton, George W. Bush, Barack Obama, Donald Trump, and Joe Biden will attend the state funeral of former President Jimmy Carter, who passed away on December 29. This rare gathering will be the first time all living members of the club meet face to face since the funeral of George H.W. Bush in December 2018.
The group, marked by shared experiences and the unique burden of presidential service, will gather at the Washington National Cathedral to pay their respects to a man who stood apart from them figuratively. The dynamic within the group has become increasingly fractured over the years, with tensions heightened by Trump’s return to the White House and the differing legacies of each president.
The long and remarkable life of Jimmy Carter, who spanned 17 American presidents from Calvin Coolidge to Biden, serves as a reminder of the enduring legacy of the presidents club. Carter, the oldest living president and longest-serving member, charted his own course after leaving the White House, setting an example for post-presidency service.
Despite past rifts and differing political affiliations, both Democrats and Republicans have acknowledged Carter’s legacy and post-presidency work. While some presidents sought Carter’s counsel and admired his diplomatic skills, others, like Obama, kept their distance. Carter himself was not afraid to speak out against his successors when he felt it necessary.
The upcoming funeral of Jimmy Carter will not only be a moment to honor his life and legacy but also a unique occasion for the presidents club to come together and reflect on their shared experiences and the complexities of presidential leadership.
It was justified, occasionally leading to challenges. A change of heart for Bush
Carter openly criticized the George W. Bush administration, particularly denouncing the president’s handling of the Iraq War in a 2007 interview. “I believe this administration has had the most negative impact on the country globally,” Carter told The Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, condemning Bush’s “overt rejection of America’s fundamental values.” However, Carter later commended Bush; at the 2013 unveiling of the George W. Bush Presidential Center, Carter expressed his “respect” for the 43rd president, praising Bush for honoring his commitments and working to resolve a 20-year civil war in Sudan.
The Clinton era
During his presidency, Clinton accepted Carter’s offer to assist in easing tensions with North Korean leader Kim Il Sung. “The involvement of President Carter in resolving this conflict became complex when he revealed an informal agreement with North Korea to end the deadlock on CNN before allowing Clinton Administration officials to review it,” the Clinton Library stated in a brief overview of their association. Carter later collaborated with a diplomatic team comprising former Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Colin Powell and Sen. Sam Nunn of Georgia to help “prevent an armed conflict with Haiti’s military leaders,” as noted by the Clinton Library. Nonetheless, tensions reportedly arose when Carter “appeared on CNN before meeting Mr. Clinton for breakfast and a scheduled joint press conference,” according to The New York Times. Clinton honored Carter with the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the nation’s highest civilian award, in 1999. Nevertheless, fresh tensions emerged when Carter endorsed Bernie Sanders over Hillary Clinton in the 2016 Democratic presidential race.
The Trump years
Carter remained in contact with Trump and his administration numerous times during the president-elect’s initial term. In 2018, Carter mentioned that he was briefed on North Korea following Trump’s announcement of sanctions on the country and expressed readiness to visit North Korea on behalf of the administration, an offer Trump did not accept. In 2019, Carter wrote Trump a letter regarding US-China trade relations and had a phone conversation with him. However, the relationship soured later that year when Carter called for a thorough investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 election, implying that “it would reveal that Trump did not actually win the election.” Carter subsequently issued strong warnings about Trump’s choice to withhold funding from the World Health Organization during the Covid-19 pandemic. Trump referred to Carter as a “nice man” and a “poor president” during a G20 Summit press conference in June 2019. In the days preceding and following Carter’s passing, Trump criticized a pair of treaties Carter negotiated concerning the Panama Canal in a news conference. Trump indicated, “Handing over the Panama Canal is, in my opinion, why Jimmy Carter lost the election, more so than the hostage situation,” alluding to the Iran hostage crisis. While acknowledging that it is “inappropriate” to discuss the Panama Canal in
“And ‘very consequential.’ Days later, however, he took to social media to complain that flags on federal buildings would be at half-staff during his inauguration, a standard, monthlong procedure commemorating the death of an American president.
Biden’s loyalty to Carter, a child of the Great Depression, was the last president to routinely ask his fellow Americans to sacrifice. Whether turning down the heat and donning a sweater to limiting driving and gas consumption, Carter’s requests fell flat politically and created a caricature of a president from which his predecessors were eager to distance themselves.
In the height of the Great Recession, as the George W. Bush presidency ended and the Obama era began, Democrats in the West Wing were loath to seek Carter’s guidance or even mention his name. He was far more likely to be invoked by Republicans in a more disparaging and mocking tone.
But for Biden, there were no such reservations. He has long worn his love and loyalty to Carter on his sleeve, paying an early visit to the former president’s home in Plains, Georgia, and proudly reminiscing about how he was the first senator to endorse Carter’s improbable presidential candidacy.
‘We believe being ‘right’ on the issues is not enough in 1976. Our nation and our party need a president who is not only right, but who has demonstrated the ability to accomplish our common goals,’ Biden and then-Sen. Birch Bayh wrote in a joint letter at the time, adding, ‘We believe that person is Jimmy Carter.’
Four years ago, Biden’s inauguration was the first one Carter had missed since his own swearing-in in 1977. His health was failing, but the relationship Carter had with Biden was the strongest he forged with any of his successors.
Biden is poised to make remarks Thursday during the state funeral at the Washington National Cathedral. In the waning days of his presidency, after decades of delivering tributes and send-offs, Biden will do something for the first time: eulogize a fellow member of the presidents club.
Carter’s legacy With his successors and his predecessors, Carter marched to his own beat. He created relationships with some presidents — notably extending an olive branch early and often to Gerald Ford, whom he defeated in 1976 — while never forging a true connection with Ronald Reagan, to whom he lost in 1980.
Carter and his wife, Rosalynn, were slow to get over slights from official Washington — perceived or real — after they left the White House. Carter was the last to follow the Harry Truman model of not profiting from a post-presidency through paid speeches or other endeavors.
Chip Carter, the late president’s son, made a passing reference to the lingering sentiment of his parents as they returned home to Georgia and took control of forging their own legacy.
‘Dad’s legacy from Georgia, the governor’s office, and from the presidency, was a little bit rough at the end of it because of our opposition and
