Why didn’t Jimmy Carter attend Joe Biden's inauguration? Former president misses event first time in 44 years
Former President Jimmy Carter, 96, and his wife Rosalynn, 93, missed President Joe Biden's inauguration, and this was a first in 44 years. They both sent their best wishes to Joe Biden as he became the 46th president of the United States of America. Carter said in the message that they look forward to a successful administration. In a statement shared with PEOPLE, Carter’s spokesperson from Carter Center said that the former president and his wife of nearly 75 years would not be traveling to Washington for the inauguration of Biden and Kamala Harris, but have sent their wishes.
A day before his inauguration, Biden talked about his telephonic conversation with Carter. Biden and Harris’ inauguration event was attended by several prominent political figures, including former Presidents Barack Obama, Bill Clinton, George W Bush, and their respective partners. He thanked all his predecessors of both Republican and Democratic parties for their presence. "I thank my predecessors of both parties for their presence here. I thank them from the bottom of my heart. You know the resilience of our Constitution and the strength of our nation," Biden said. "As does President Carter, who I spoke to last night but who cannot be with us today, but whom we salute for his lifetime of service."
The former president and the first lady have not strayed far from their home since the Covid-19 pandemic brought the world to its knees. Carter is in a high-risk category for complications from Covid-19 due to his age. Carter’s spokesperson revealed in December 2020 that the president is looking forward to receiving the Covid-19 vaccine when it is available to him. In addition to this, it was stated that Carter and Rosalynn are in full support of the vaccination and have encouraged everyone who is eligible to get immunized as soon as the vaccine becomes available to them.
Trump skipped Biden's Inauguration Ceremony
In addition to Carter and the former first lady, some other prominent public figures announced they would not attend Biden-Harris’ inauguration ceremony over concerns related to the Covid-19 pandemic.
While the tradition for the outgoing president to welcome his successor to the White House and then ride together to the US Capitol building has been ongoing for decades, former President Donald Trump chose to skip Biden's inauguration ceremony. He posted to his now-banned Twitter account that “to all of those who have asked, I will not be going to the inauguration on January 20th.” His decision to skip Biden’s swearing-in ceremony came after weeks of him refusing Biden-Harris’ win during the 2020 presidential election.
Trump and his family stayed true to his statement as he left the White House for the last time on January 20, along with former First Lady Melania Trump. As Trump boarded the Marine One helicopter, a small crowd waved goodbye to both of them. Trump will stay at his Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida for the time being.“I just want to say goodbye,” Trump told the gathered crowd, calling his time in office “the honor of a lifetime.” That being said, Trump’s Vice President Mike Pence and his wife Karen attended Biden’s inauguration as they skipped Trump’s farewell ceremony.
