“President and Mrs. Carter will not travel to Washington for inauguration, but they have sent their best wishes to President-elect Biden and Vice-President-elect Harris and hope for a successful administration,” Deanna Congileo, spokesman 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 survived brain and liver cancer and was hospitalized in 2019, and the elderly are more vulnerable to Covid-19 than the younger ones.
Biden’s opening on January 20 will be largely virtual, with a televised parade in place of the typical large, crowded event. The inaugural committee also asked Americans not to travel to Washington, DC, for the ceremony.