Melania Trump is paying her respects to President Jimmy Carter. The former First Lady has been attending various services honoring the longest-living President of the U.S., visiting the Capitol Rotunda in Washington D.C., and attending his state funeral alongside President-elect Donald Trump and Vice President-elect J.D. Vance.
Carter's funeral is being hosted at the National Cathedral on January 9th, a date that's been declared a national day of mourning. All former living presidents, Trump, Joe Biden, Barack Obama, George W. Bush, and Bill Clinton, are in attendance.
Early photos of the funeral showed Melania and Trump arriving at the cathedral and walking inside the building. Melania wore a black dress with a large white collar while Trump wore a suit with a baby blue tie. She and Trump held hands as they walked past various heads of state, including Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.
Vice President Kamala Harris, and former Vice Presidents Mike Pence and Al Gore were also in attendance.
Trump and Melania were seated next to Barack Obama, and Hillary and Bill Clinton, with photographers capturing Trump and Obama chatting. Former First Lady Michelle Obama wasn't in attendance, with her team sharing that she's currently in Hawaii and had scheduling conflicts that prevented her from making it to the funeral.
Melania Trump and more first ladies at Rosalynn Carter's funeral
In late 2023, Melania Trump joined the country's living First Ladies in honoring Rosalynn Carter, the wife of Jimmy Carter, who died at 96. She served as First Lady from 1977 to 1981. All First Ladies were in attendance at her funeral, with Melania wearing a grey tweed coat that sparked some controversy.
While some criticized Melania's fashion choice, others argued that grey was a respectable color for the occasion.
Melania shared a tribute following Rosalynn's death, praising her efforts in addressing mental health in America. “She leaves behind an important legacy in her work to destigmatize mental health,” read Melania's statement. “We join our fellow citizens in sending our condolences to President Carter and their family.”