当选总统唐纳德·特朗普本周他计划参加前总统吉米·卡特的葬礼。
卡特于12月29日逝世，享年100岁，他将被授予华盛顿国家大教堂的国葬1月9日星期四。总统乔·拜登预计将致悼词。
“我会去的。我们受到了邀请，”特朗普周二晚上告诉记者，尽管他拒绝透露他是否与卡特家族的任何成员交谈过。
在特朗普和卡特之间多年的公开抨击之后，特朗普将出席葬礼，包括特朗普最近在2024年竞选活动中对卡特的抨击。
尽管在第39任总统去世后，特朗普发表声明称赞卡特对国家的贡献。
“吉米作为总统面临的挑战正值我们国家的关键时刻，他竭尽全力改善所有美国人的生活。为此，我们都欠他一份情，”特朗普写道。“在这个艰难的时刻，梅拉尼娅和我非常想念卡特一家和他们的亲人。我们敦促每个人把他们放在心里，为他们祈祷。”
在另一篇帖子中，特朗普称赞卡特是一个“真正的好人”，并称赞他卸任后的人道主义工作。
“虽然我在哲学上和政治上强烈反对他，但我也意识到他真正热爱和尊重我们的国家，以及它所代表的一切。他努力工作，让美国变得更好，为此我向他致以最崇高的敬意，”特朗普在谈到卡特时写道。“他是一个真正的好人，当然，我们会非常怀念他。在他离开椭圆形办公室后，他也非常重要，远远超过大多数总统。
但此前，特朗普曾将卡特称为该国“最糟糕的总统”。
特朗普还多次批评卡特，因为他在拜登退出前，两人在2024年的竞选中是对手。
“歪乔·拜登是我们国家历史上最糟糕的总统。他是我们国家历史上最无能、最腐败的总统，”特朗普去年1月在加大竞选活动力度时说。“而且还差得远。事实上，我说，今天，活着的最快乐的人是吉米·卡特，因为他的总统任期看起来很辉煌。相比之下很出色。”
自2023年初以来一直接受临终关怀的卡特在总统竞选期间离开了公众的视线，但他的家人表示，他一直在努力活下去投他的票为副总统卡玛拉·哈里斯——他在10月中旬做到了。
在总统过渡期间，特朗普谴责了卡特总统任期内的一项标志性成就——巴拿马运河条约，该条约使中美洲国家最终控制了这条关键的水道。特朗普最近表示，美国“愚蠢地”放弃了巴拿马运河，并暗示他即将上任的政府可能会试图夺回对它的控制权。
在特朗普的第一个任期内，卡特在讨论他对自己总统任期的看法时没有拐弯抹角。
卡特告诉华盛顿邮报2018年，“我觉得他是个灾难。”
“在人权和照顾他人以及平等待人方面，”卡特谈到特朗普时说。
卡特还对特朗普2016年的胜利表示怀疑，认为对俄罗斯选举干预的全面调查将表明特朗普“实际上没有获胜”。特朗普回击了这些评论，称卡特是“一个好人”，但却是“一个糟糕的总统”，被自己的政党“毁了”。
尽管值得注意的是，这两个人在2019年特朗普打电话给卡特讨论中国和贸易谈判时发表了讲话。特朗普的白宫当时表示，在打电话之前，卡特已经给特朗普发了一封“美丽的”信，分享了一些关于美国和北京之间外交关系的建议。
Trump says he will attend Jimmy Carter's funeral amid history of mutual criticism
President-electDonald Trumpsaid this week he plans to attend former President Jimmy Carter's funeral following a history of mutual criticism.
Carter, who died on Dec. 29 at the age of 100, will be honored with astate funeral at Washington National Cathedralon Thursday, Jan. 9. PresidentJoe Bidenis expected to deliver the eulogy.
"I'll be there. We were invited," Trump told reporters on Tuesday night, though he declined to say if he'd spoken with any members of the Carter family.
Trump's attendance at the funeral will come after years of public sniping between Trump and Carter, including Trump's recent jabs at Carter on the 2024 campaign trail.
Though after the 39th president's passing, Trump issued a statement praising Carter's service to the country.
"The challenges Jimmy faced as President came at a pivotal time for our country and he did everything in his power to improve the lives of all Americans. For that, we all owe him a debt of gratitude," Trump wrote. "Melania and I are thinking warmly of the Carter Family and their loved ones during this difficult time. We urge everyone to keep them in their hearts and prayers."
In another post, Trump commended Carter as a "truly good man" and praised his humanitarian work post-presidency.
"While I strongly disagreed with him philosophically and politically, I also realized that he truly loved and respected our Country, and all it stands for. He worked hard to make America a better place, and for that I give him my highest respect," Trump wrote of Carter. "He was a truly good man and, of course, will be greatly missed. He was also very consequential, far more than most Presidents, after he left the Oval Office."
But previously, Trump had labelled Carter as the country's "worst president."
Trump also repeatedly criticized Carter as he lashed out at President Joe Biden when the two were opponents in the 2024 race before Biden dropped out.
"Crooked Joe Biden is the worst president in the history of our country. He's the most incompetent and he's the most corrupt president in the history of our country," Trump said last January as he ramped up campaign events. "And it's not even close. In fact, I said, today, the happiest person alive today is Jimmy Carter because his presidency looks brilliant. Brilliant by comparison."
Carter, who had been in hospice care since early 2023, was out of the public eye during the presidential race but his family said he was trying to live until he couldcast his ballotfor Vice President Kamala Harris -- which he did in mid-October.
During the presidential transition, Trump's denounced a signature achievement of Carter's presidency -- the Panama Canal Treaty that gave the Central American nation eventual control of the critical waterway. Trump recently said the U.S. "foolishly" ceded the Panama Canal and suggested his incoming administration might try to regain control of it.
During Trump's first term, Carter didn't mince words when discussing what he thought about his presidency.
Cartertold the Washington Postin 2018, "I think he's a disaster."
"In human rights and taking care of people and treating people equal," Carter said of Trump.
Carter also casted doubt at one point on Trump' s 2016 victory, suggesting that a full investigation into Russian election interference would show Trump "didn't actually win." Trump hit back to those comments by saying Cater was "a nice man" but "a terrible president" who was "trashed" by his own party.
Though notably the two men spoke in 2019 when Trump called Carter to discuss China and trade negotiations. Prior to the call, Carter had sent a "beautiful" letter to Trump sharing some advice on the diplomatic relationship between the U.S. and Beijing, Trump's White House said at the time.
