US mourns Jimmy Carter on day of national mourning, former presidents side by side

washington - The United States is bidding a grand farewell to former President Jimmy Carter, who passed away at the age of 100 on December 29.

The body of Carter was brought to Washington earlier this week, where the state funeral takes place on Thursday. The Democrat, who won the Nobel Peace Prize in 2002, lay in state in Atlanta in the days before, surrounded by family in Georgia, where he resided and passed away.

Carter was flown to the capital in a presidential plane. He was then transported by a funeral car to the Capitol. The former president was carried in a horse-drawn carriage for the final stretch, retracing the route of his inauguration parade in the opposite direction. Americans paid their last respects to him in the Capitol, as thousands did in Atlanta.

President Joe Biden will deliver a speech. All four living former presidents (Bill Clinton, George Bush, Barack Obama, and Donald Trump) are present and seated together, visible in live footage. A day of national mourning has been declared. Notably, Trump met his former vice president Mike Pence before the ceremonies, who refused to obstruct the election results four years ago. Shortly after, the Capitol insurrection took place, with Trump supporters targeting Pence.

Even losing candidate and Vice President Kamala Harris is present with her husband.