Trump to attend Jimmy Carter state funeral

People attend a vigil held at Maranatha Baptist Church, where former President Jimmy Carter used to worship, in Plains, Georgia, on December 30, 2024.[AFP]

US President-elect Donald Trump said Tuesday he plans to attend the state funeral of former president Jimmy Carter, who died Sunday aged 100.

Trump shared his intentions with reporters during New Year's Eve celebrations at his Mar-a-Lago residence in Florida.

"I'll be there. We were invited," Trump said.

When asked a follow-up question about whether he had spoken to any of Carter's family members, the Republican demurred, responding: "I'd rather not say."

Carter, a Democrat who served one term as US president from 1977 to 1981, voted by mail in the 2024 US presidential election, with family members saying he planned to vote for Trump's opponent, Vice President Kamala Harris.

State funeral plans for Carter, a one-time peanut farmer who worked his way to the White House, begin Saturday in his home state of Georgia and will conclude January 9 at the Washington National Cathedral, where Trump is expected to attend along with other dignitaries.

President Joe Biden, who will be in his final weeks in office, is expected to deliver the eulogy at the service.

In 2018, after the death of former president George H. W. Bush -- who was in office from 1989 to 1993 -- Trump attended the state funeral alongside fellow ex-presidents Carter, Barack Obama and Bill Clinton, as well as their spouses.

After the service in Washington, Carter's remains will be flown down to Georgia for a private funeral and burial.