Joe.My.God. LGBT News
USA Today reports:
Former President Jimmy Carter would attend President-elect Donald Trump’s inauguration in January – were it not for health issues, a spokesperson for the Carter Center told USA TODAY. The 100-year-old has been in hospice care for nearly two years. In 2015, he was diagnosed with cancer that spread to his brain.
So far, the 39th president of the United States is the only living ex-president to signal his willingness to be there for the second inauguration ceremony in the country’s history where a former president is returning to the White House.
The offices of former Presidents George W. Bush and Barack Obama responded to say they had no scheduling announcements to share yet on Trump’s inauguration, while representatives for former President Bill Clinton did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
The White House Historical Association writes:
Presidential absences on Inauguration Day have been more frequent than might be expected. Five outgoing presidents – John Adams, John Quincy Adams, Martin Van Buren, Andrew Johnson, and Donald Trump – failed to attend the Inaugurations of their successors, while two more presidents – Woodrow Wilson and Richard Nixon – did not participate for other reasons. More than three dozen presidential transitions have taken place since the founding of the republic, which makes notable these seven instances of absent incumbents. Taken together, they reveal how inaugural no-shows are in fact a recurring feature of American politics.
The piece linked above goes on to describe the circumstances behind each of those seven absences. Of course, you know why Trump refused.
Jimmy Carter to skip Trump inauguration due to declining health but would go if he could https://t.co/k8sRJ0RU90
— USA TODAY (@USATODAY) December 13, 2024