WASHINGTON — Joe Biden represents the quintessential Washington politician, while Jimmy Carter stood as a stark contrast. However, an enduring friendship has linked the two since Biden, a young senator from Delaware, became the first serving senator to support Carter’s outsider campaign for the presidency in 1976. Their relationship will be highlighted one last time as Biden delivers a eulogy for Carter during his state funeral at the Washington National Cathedral on Thursday.
This solemn occasion serves as a fitting conclusion for both figures. Over the extensive stretch of their public careers, both Biden and Carter saw their identities evolve alongside the Democratic Party and the nation itself. They each faced challenging terms in office that ended with their exits being less than favorable, as they handed the presidency to notable Republican counterparts.
Hours after Carter’s passing on December 29th at the age of 100, Biden expressed profound sorrow. “America and the world lost a remarkable leader. He was a statesman and humanitarian. Jill and I lost a dear friend,” he said. Biden’s role as a speaker at the funeral is not just a chance to honor Carter’s post-presidential contributions; it may also serve to influence perspectives on Carter’s presidency, subtly seeking similar reassessments for his own time in office amid the incoming transition to President-elect Donald Trump on January 20.
Trump’s attendance at Carter’s funeral complicates the situation. Throughout the 2024 campaign, Trump humorously likened Biden to Carter, portraying both as ineffective leaders, particularly in managing the economy during times of inflation. Trump criticized Biden, stating, “Biden is the worst president in the history of our country, worse than Jimmy Carter by a long shot.” Even during sensitive moments, such as referring to Rosalynn Carter’s illness or on Carter’s centennial birthday, Trump would remark, “Jimmy Carter is happy because he had a brilliant presidency compared to Biden.”
Some Democrats have pointed out that holding Carter’s funeral so close to Trump’s eventual swearing-in offers a contrast to the Republican’s aggressive rhetoric. “Jimmy Carter is a fundamentally decent man, and Joe Biden is a fundamentally decent man,” asserted Donna Brazile, a veteran Democratic strategist who began her career during Carter’s 1980 reelection effort.
Biden has echoed this sentiment, emphasizing the aspects of character that drew him to Carter. Following Carter’s death, he remarked, “When I endorsed him for president, it was not only his policies but his character.” When asked what Trump could learn from Carter, Biden responded, “Decency, decency, decency.”
Biden had spent 36 years in the Senate and eight years as vice president prior to winning the presidency in 2020. At the time he backed Carter, he had yet to fully embrace a career as a longtime politician. He entered the Senate at 29, during Carter’s bid for the presidency, and recalled, “He grabbed me by the arm and said, ‘I need you to help me with my campaign,’ and I said, ‘I’ve only been around a couple years, Mr. Governor.’” Carter insisted that Biden’s support would be significant.
Throughout the campaign, Biden chose to support Carter rather than more senior senators and campaigned extensively for him. Both leaders shared moderate views on fiscal and social issues and were open about their faith—Carter as an evangelical Baptist and Biden as a Roman Catholic. However, their dynamic was not without friction following Carter’s victory.
Although both had initially opposed federally mandated busing for desegregation in public schools, Carter rejected a bill promoted by Biden in 1977 aimed at limiting judicial authority on the matter, viewing it as unconstitutional. Biden famously quipped, “Nixon had his enemies list, and President Carter has his friends list. I guess I’m on his friends list, and I don’t know which is worse.”
Still, Biden warned Carter about the potential challenge from liberal rival Ted Kennedy in the 1980 primary. When Kennedy did enter the race, Biden remained loyal to Carter, even as the president’s popularity waned. During Biden’s first presidential run in 1988, Carter was focused on establishing his post-presidential legacy through the Carter Center, a humanitarian organization, and remained largely out of the political spotlight.
As Biden evaluated Carter in a 2007 book, he acknowledged, “That’s the first time I realized that on-the-job training for a president can be a dangerous thing.” He also critiqued Carter’s strong religious convictions, suggesting that they could be overshadowing practical governance. “You thump that Bible one more time,” Biden expressed to Carter, “and you’re going to lose me too.”
Biden’s subsequent campaigns faltered, but his fortunes changed when Barack Obama selected him as a running mate. Notably, the Obama campaign excluded Carter from speaking at the 2008 Democratic National Convention. Years later, as Biden campaigned for the presidency a third time, Carter, then nearing 95, offered candid remarks about age limits for leadership. “If I was 15 years younger, I don’t believe I could undertake the duties I experienced when I was president,” he humorously noted.
Despite their differences in perspective, Carter reciprocated Biden’s loyalty with words of support, emphasizing the need for integrity and judgment in leadership. On one of Biden’s initial trips as president, he visited Carter in Plains, Georgia, where the former president formally asked him to eulogize him at his state funeral. In the months following Rosalynn Carter’s passing in 2023, the Bidens maintained a private friendship with Carter.
Biden ultimately turned 80 in office, which contributed to growing concerns that influenced his decision not to seek reelection. As Biden faced mounting pressure following a contentious debate with Trump, Carter, who had entered hospice care over a year prior, refrained from engaging publicly. “He, like many of us, was incredibly gratified by his friend’s courageous choice to pass the torch,” expressed Jason Carter, the former president’s grandson, highlighting the rarity of a sitting president voluntarily ceding power.
As Biden prepares to speak at Thursday’s service, observers have noted that unlike Carter, he may not have the same chance to redefine his legacy post-presidency, as he will not benefit from the extensive time Carter had to engage in humanitarian efforts globally after leaving office.
