Former President Jimmy Carter left a parting gift for president-elect Donald Trump after his death on Sunday
According to the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, the flag must be flown at half staff for 30 days at all federal buildings and grounds for 30 days following the death of a president or former president.
Carter died Sunday December, 29 at 100-years-old. This means that flags across the country will be at half staff on Trump’s Jan. 20, 2025 inauguration date.
Carter, a Democrat, repeatedly criticized Trump.
In September 2019, Carter warned Americans against reelecting Trump, saying “I think it will be a disaster to have four more years of Trump.”
Carter also accused Trump of being dishonest, telling CBS News in an interview, “I think it’s well-known that the incumbent president is very careless with the truth.”
“I think I went through my campaign and my presidency without ever lying to the people or making a deliberately false statement, and I think that would be a very worthwhile thing to reinsert into politics these days,” he added.
In this year’s presidential election, Carter’s grandson Jason Carter told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution the former president wanted to live long enough to cast a ballot for Democratic nominee Kamala Harris.
He voted by mail for the vice president, who lost to Trump in November.
Trump for his part, called Carter the “forgotten president,” and mocked him on his 100th birthday.
In a rare moment on Sunday, Trump set aside partisanship to send his condolences to Carter’s family in a Truth Social post after the former president’s death writing, “Those of us who have been fortunate to have served as President understand this is a very exclusive club, and only we can relate to the enormous responsibility of leading the Greatest Nation in History.”
“Melania and I are thinking warmly of the Carter Family and their loved ones during this difficult time,” he added. “We urge everyone to keep them in their hearts and prayers.”
