Mourners pay homage to Jimmy Carter at US Capitol ahead of national funeral

Thousands of mourners have continued to pour into the US Capitol to visit former President Jimmy Carter, as his body lay in state in a flag-draped coffin at the Capitol Rotunda.

Carter, who died on December 29 at the age of 100, served a single term from 1977-1981 and was widely praised for his post-presidential humanitarian efforts, for which he was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2002.

"They advocated for the president to change the delivery to Indian country, to elevate Native America and their presence here in Washington, so that we could have a stronger voice. President Carter did that for us, he did that for Native America, he did that for our future and he did that for my grandchildren," said Ernest L Stevens Jr, chairman of the National Indian Gaming Association.

Suzane Feigley, a production coordinator who paid homage to Carter, said, "I feel that Jimmy Carter was definitely underrated in his years. He's the (US journalist) Jeff Bartlett of a human generation, he's a president we need more of. And it's an opportunity to say goodbye and give our respects to him and his family."

National day of mourning

A state funeral service is to be held on Thursday at the National Cathedral, an Episcopal church in Washington, DC that also hosted funerals for former presidents Dwight Eisenhower, Ronald Reagan, Gerald Ford and George HW Bush.

Current President Joe Biden is to deliver the eulogy for his fellow Democrat.

All four living former presidents — Bill Clinton, George W Bush, Barack Obama and Donald Trump — are expected to attend.

Biden has declared Thursday a national day of mourning, with federal government offices to be closed for the day.

He has also ordered flags to fly at half-staff for 30 days as is customary, which means that will be the case during Trump's January 20 inauguration, something the Republican has criticised.

The first president to reach triple digits, Carter had been in hospice care since February 2023 in his hometown of Plains, Georgia, where he died and will be buried next to his late wife, former first lady Rosalynn Carter.

Carter was 'exactly what the country needed'

Sixty-three-year-old Paul Newman, a retired American, paid rich tribute to Carter, saying he was "the first man I voted for when I was old enough to vote in the elections. He's a good man. He believed in the working class. He was honest and put others first after he was finished in office, so I came to pay my respects."

One mourner, an Air Force veteran, took a train from New Jersey before sunrise to pay his respects.

"President Carter was the first person I ever voted for. First time I was able to vote. I was actually also privileged to shake his hand at Pease Air Force Base, which was my first duty assignment in the Air Force, and followed him very closely. Just so impressed with him, the way he carried himself and how he served our country," said Michael Gibbons.

For others, visiting Carter’s casket was an opportunity to thank Carter for his work in life.

"As I got older because I recognised Jimmy Carter was exactly what the country needed coming off the Watergate scandal and a lot of people upset with Gerald Ford because he pardoned Richard Nixon," said Quinton Foster, from Washington, DC.

"So for Carter to come along with the level of integrity that he demonstrated in every area of his life, he was just what the country needed at the time."