Jimmy Carter will not attend Biden’s inauguration

Former President Jimmy Carter and former first lady Rosalynn Carter will not attend President-elect Joe Biden’s inauguration, a spokeswoman said Tuesday.

“President and Mrs. Carter will not travel to Washington for the inauguration but have sent their best wishes to President-elect Biden and Vice President-elect Harris and look forward to a successful administration,” Deanna Congileo, a spokeswoman for the Carter Center, said in a statement to CNN.

The Associated Press first reported that the Carters will not attend.

At 96, Carter is America’s oldest living president. In addition to his advanced age, Carter has survived brain and liver cancer and was hospitalized in 2019, and senior citizens are more vulnerable to Covid-19 than younger people.

Biden’s inauguration on January 20 will be largely virtual, with a televised parade in lieu of the typical large, crowded event. The inaugural committee has also asked Americans not to travel to Washington, DC, for the ceremony.