What happens after the president dies?

The last time a Democratic president died was in 1973, when Lyndon Baines Johnson died at age 64 a few years after leaving office.

Jimmy Carter died on Sunday at the age of 100, and the United States will now have its first funeral for a Democratic president in more than 50 years.

Carter is the oldest president and the longest-serving president since leaving office in 1980 at the age of 56.

There are a variety of traditions and customs associated with the death of a US president, but the family’s wishes are also carefully considered, meaning individual procedures can vary widely.

Since Johnson’s death, four former presidents have been given state funerals: Johnson in 1973, Ronald Reagan in 2004, Gerald Ford in 2007 and George H.W. Bush in 2018 Held every year.

Richard Nixon, who died in 1994, chose a smaller, more private ceremony at the presidential library because he worried that recalling Watergate might overshadow any larger proceedings. shadow.

The United States “observes a state funeral on behalf of all persons who currently hold or have held the office of President, as well as the president-elect and other persons designated by the president,” according to the U.S. Army District of Washington.

A state funeral lasts seven to 10 days and consists of three parts: a ceremony in the president’s hometown, a ceremony in Washington, D.C., and finally a ceremony in the state where the president chooses to be buried.

Ceremonies in the Capital Region may include Armed Forces Honor Guards, military bands and elements of the National Guard and the U.S. Armed Forces Reserve. Outside the Capitol area, services may also include local units.

Vice President sworn in

If the president dies in office, the first order of business is for the vice president to be sworn in as president.

Plan a funeral

According to the White House Historical Association, one of the first things a president must do is plan his own funeral. After the president’s death, the family is responsible for coordinating the proceedings.

After Mr. Ford’s death in 2006, Barbara Owens, then the national funeral planner for Joint Task Force Public Affairs in the National Capital Region in Washington, said, “Until the family has had an opportunity to meet with our commander and leave the We won’t know what the timeline will be as events unfold over the next few days.

“They can choose to have a simple funeral or they can choose to have a full funeral with honors. It all depends on the family,” she added at the time.

Make an announcement

When the White House learns of the death of the former president, the current president will first issue a proclamation announcing the death and then order the Department of Defense to organize a state funeral.

The president also ordered federal agencies and departments to close in observance of a national day of mourning.

Flag at half-mast

According to the Department of Veterans Affairs, all federal buildings, grounds and Navy ships in the United States and its territories are required to fly flags at half-staff for 30 days following the death of a president.

Transport the casket to the U.S. Capitol for burial

After the casket lies in state at the former president’s presidential library (as was the case with Reagan in California), it is transported to the U.S. Capitol and placed there. During the transportation process, the coffin was escorted by the military and transported on a presidential plane.

In 2018, George H.W. Bush was transported from Houston, Texas, to the U.S. Capitol for a two-day visit before being buried at the Presidential Library in College Station, Texas.

The state allows current and former elected officials and members of the public to pay their respects.

Until now, only presidents who died in office were buried in the White House.

funeral

The funeral is traditionally held at the Washington National Cathedral in the nation’s capital. Events surrounding a funeral typically last five days, with the exact procedure depending on each president.

In terms of seating arrangement, the president and his entourage are ranked first, followed by foreign heads of state, arranged in alphabetical order according to the English spelling of their country. Afterwards, members of the royal family representing the head of state took their seats, followed by the heads of government, Associated Press Timely note of Ford’s 2007 funeral.

U.S. military salute

When the president is laid to rest, a seven-member honor guard will fire a three-gun salute at the presidential cemetery, and military installations across the country will fire a 21-gun salute to the former commander-in-chief.

funeral train procession

In the past, the coffins of many presidents traveled across the country on trains for people across the country to pay their respects. In 2018, the family of George H.W. Bush also decided to transport his casket across the country.

funeral

Presidents are eventually buried, usually in places that have personal meaning to them. Several presidents are buried in their presidential libraries, while Presidents William H. Taft and John F. Kennedy are buried at Arlington National Cemetery.

The Associated Press contributed to this report