President Joe Biden Reveals Former President Jimmy Carter Asked Him to Deliver His Eulogy

Former President Jimmy Carter has asked President Joe Biden to deliver his eulogy, the President revealed Monday night.

Speaking at a fundraiser in Rancho Santa Fe, California, President Biden said he had recently spent time with Carter and that the former president’s health had “finally caught up with him.” Carter, the 39th president and the longest-living president in U.S. history, has been in hospice care at his home in Georgia since deciding to forgo further medical treatment on Feb. 18.

“He asked me to do his eulogy — excuse me, I shouldn’t say that,” said Biden, who was speaking without notes.

Mr. Biden, whose son Beau died from brain cancer in 2015, spoke about cancer at Monday’s fundraiser and referred to Carter’s earlier bout with the disease, saying doctors had “found a way to extend his life.”

The former president’s hometown of Plains, Georgia, is preparing to say goodbye to Carter, who has served as a symbol of hope and resilience for the small town. Carter’s family has asked the public to honor the former president’s memory by donating to the Carter Center, a nonprofit organization that works to advance human rights and alleviate human suffering.

Carter’s funeral arrangements have not yet been announced.