Bush to attend Jan. 20 inauguration while Carters will not make trip to D.C.

Former President George W. Bush has announced his plans to attend the inauguration of Joe Biden on Jan. 20, but former President Jimmy Carter has said he will not travel to the nation's capital to attend the event.

Bush was among the first high-profile Republicans to congratulate Biden on his win. His chief of staff, Freddy Ford, said that president and the former first lady Laura Bush will be at the inauguration, just like they attended the first inauguration of Trump and Obama.

"President and Mrs. Bush look forward to returning to the Capitol for the swearing in of President Biden and Vice President Harris," Ford said in a statement. "I believe this will be the eighth inauguration they've had the privilege of attending – President Trump's being the most recent – and witnessing the peaceful transfer of power is a hallmark of our democracy that never gets old."

The 2021 inauguration will be the first ceremony Carter, 96, and former first lady Rosalyn Carter, 93, have not attended since Carter's 1977 presidency. The couple attended both of Obama's inauguration ceremonies and Trump's 2017 ceremony. 

The inaugural committee planning the Jan. 20 event has asked Americans to not travel to D.C. for the ceremony, which will be largely virtual with a televised parade.