Accompanied by former first lady Laura Bush, former U.S. President George W. Bush plans to attend President-elect Joe Biden's inauguration, which is slated to take place on Jan. 20. Former U.S. President Jimmy Carter, on the other hand, will not be attending the event, according to their respective representatives.
A spokesperson for George W. and Laura Bush, Freddy Ford, announced on Twitter that the pair are looking forward to returning to D.C. to attend the president-elect and vice president-elect's swearing-in later this month. Ford said he believes this will be the eighth Inauguration the pair has had the chance of attending, adding that Trump's inauguration was the most recent one they attended.
Ford wrote that being a witness to the peaceful transfer of power is a distinctive feature of American democracy that never gets old. The couple attended President Obama's 2009, as well as 2013 inaugurations, and Trump's in 2017. 96-year-old former President Carter will not be able to grace Biden's inauguration, The Hill reported.
The 43rd U.S. President was among the first high-profile Republicans to acknowledge and congratulate Biden on his historic win. Several media organizations projected the Democrat would win the presidency last year. Despite having political differences, Bush said that he knows Biden to be a good man, who now has the opportunity to lead and unify America.
In the statement published by USA Today in Nov. 2020, the former president pointed out that Biden reiterated that he would work for all Americans, although he ran as a Democrat. Bush said he offered Biden the same thing he offered Obama and Trump - his prayers for his success, and his pledge to help him in any way he can.
Carter and former first lady Rosalyn Carter had attended both of Obama's inaugurations, as well as Trump's inauguration ceremony in 2017. While the pair will not be traveling to Washington for the inauguration, Carter Center spokesperson Deanna Congileo said in a statement released to CNN that they have sent their best wishes to Biden and Harris and are looking forward to a successful administration.
The Associated Press first broke the news about the Carters' decision not to attend the inauguration. The country's oldest living president has battled and survived brain and liver cancer and was hospitalized last year. Moreover, senior citizens are more likely to contract COVID-19 than younger people.
Biden's impending inauguration will be mostly virtual, with a televised parade replacing the traditional large, crowded event. The inaugural committee has urged Biden's supporters to refrain from traveling to Washington, DC, for the inauguration.