Presidents Club Gathers for Carter’s Funeral – The world’s most elite brotherhood, the Presidents Club, will meet on Thursday, January 9, 2025, for Jimmy Carter’s state funeral in the nation’s capital, Washington D.C. The occasion will reunite all five living U.S. presidents: Bill Clinton, George W. Bush, Barack Obama, Donald Trump, and Joe Biden.
A Combustible Reunion
This is the first time all living members will gather in the same room since George H.W. Bush’s funeral in December 2018. The situation in the room has become even more tense because of Trump and his attacks on fellow presidents.
President Biden is anticipated to speak during Carter’s memorial service in recognition of their close bond5. The event takes place at a highly polarized political time when Trump will return to the White House in little over two weeks.
According to Kate Andersen Brower, author of “Team of Five: The Presidents Club in the Age of Trump,” there hasn’t been more tension between these men since Kennedy.
Carter’s Mixed Legacy
Jimmy Carter’s own relationship with the Presidents Club was often complicated. He often stepped out of the club, as he followed the Harry Truman model of not benefiting from his post-presidency.
Even though Carter was not part of the inner circle, he developed an unlikely friendship with Gerald Ford, whom he defeated to the presidency. They became so close that they vowed: whoever died first would be eulogized by the other.
A Test of Bipartisan Traditions
The ceremony reminds people of bipartisan traditions and national unity, which the current political climate seems to have forgotten. All living presidents attending the ceremony prove that those who have occupied the nation’s highest office share a bond that is truly unique.
However, matters are complicated now that Trump attended the event. There have been various criticisms by him against Carter during the recent weeks, particularly pertaining to the Panama Canal4. It is unclear whether Trump contacted members of the Carter family.
As the nation prepares to say goodbye to its 39th president, all eyes will be on this gathering of America’s most powerful political figures. The state funeral not only honors Carter’s legacy but also serves as a litmus test for the strength of America’s democratic institutions in these politically charged times.
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