major destruction in southern california. more fires have sparked overnight and at least

five people have been killed. the high fire danger remains throughout the weekend. >> bay area crews now in l.a. to help fight the flames. president biden approving an emergency declaration. declaration so more help can move in quickly, and a political fight involving president elect trump. >> why he's calling on governor newsom to resign and why trump says newsom is to blame for these fires. >> lots to cover this morning. >> on thursday, january 9th, we're going to first turn to drew to talk about the weather up here. >> yeah. up here the winds are really light. we have a nice afternoon coming our way. a live look outside from our east bay hills camera. we have clear skies, no fog this morning. we'll have a lot of sunshine throughout the morning and into the afternoon, but it is one of our coldest starts so far this week. widespread, 30s and 40s out there. so you'll notice that chill has returned. you need a couple layers out there this morning. but look what happens this afternoon. we recover really nicely. calm winds, lots of sunshine, very warm temperatures for this time of year. mid 60s, low 70s. later on

this afternoon let's go to southern california. we are tracking those fires. the big two right now, the palisades fire and the eaton fire. our own zach fuentes is in altadena covering the eaton fire. we'll have a live report from him coming up within the hour. winds right now. actually, not too bad, but that is going to change throughout the morning and into the afternoon. winds are going to pick up later on this morning, and they will be strong throughout the afternoon and into the evening for that fact. the red flag warning has been extended until tomorrow night across southern california. let's check in with gloria and see those drive times this morning. >> good morning. we do have an incident to tell you about over in san mateo. so this is going to impact you if you're driving on westbound 92. this is before 101. speeds are down to 11mph. at this time. there's an accident blocking the two left lanes, and traffic is backed up to foster city. so you can see right there again 11mph. expect delays in that area. and we're looking live at our camera there to show you the backup in that area, looking live at our bay

bridge toll plaza. camera metering lights are on, but the backup isn't too bad just yet. right now, it's backed up to the end of the parking lot. no issues driving across the span into san francisco and looking here at your drive times. highway four to san francisco 40 minutes right now and your overall drive times. tracy to dublin, 48 minutes. san rafael to san francisco 16 minutes antioch to concord also 16 minutes right now. so traffic is building, but it's really not that bad at this time. >> guys, this morning we are tracking the devastation and destruction across the los angeles area. firefighters battling multiple fires that continue to burn out of control. now we're going to take a live picture of one of these fires, i believe. okay. we don't have that for you right now. >> we know at least five people have died and more than 1200 structures have burned. the largest fire is the palisades fire and more than 17,000 acres. now, to give you some perspective on the scope of this disaster, take a look at this map. this is what the palisades fire burn area looked like

around noon on tuesday, when we first learned that it was spreading. now take a look at the fire's footprint. as of last night, you see that perimeter has just expanded dramatically as flames tear through thousands of acres. >> last night there was panic as more fires broke out. one in the hollywood hills sparked around 6 p.m. near runyon canyon in the hollywood bowl. it spread fast. some neighbors trying to put out spot fires, others evacuated, creating a traffic nightmare heading into hollywood. here's reporter tim caputo with our sister station in la. >> you're practically looking straight up because this is obviously a steep hill where we are right now. you actually see a firefighter on one get the light too much on him. but working on putting out some of those hotspots on this fire, it's not raging at the moment. you barely see flames here and there. there is obviously hotspots and embers that are kind of coming off some of the trees and some of the wood here, but it's not as bad as it certainly once was when the fire first started. some of the fire crews here, when they say they

got here, it was raging even from where we're standing right now, but with the assistance of the aerial attack and obviously the crews that have been on the ground for quite some time, they have made really good progress. >> and it's not just the fires burning in the brush, giving fire crews issues. house fires are made even more dangerous in the strong winds. take a look at this from studio city. last night a large house caught fire and the flames then spread to other homes. the embers landed on the hillside and started a bunch of other smaller spot fires. >> right now, the only known deaths from these wildfires have been caused by the eaton fire. that's where five people have been found dead. that fire is still burning out of control near the altadena and pasadena areas. reporter leanne suter shows us how crews are now checking on burned out homes. >> we've been following one of the l.a. county fire crews up here in altadena. we are on mendocino near santa anita avenue. they are going from house to house here, trying to turn off all of the utilities.

that is a major issue in all of these burned houses. so they've been able to get their tools and they're coming in and shutting off the gas lines, and they're doing that so that none of these fires can reignite or spark some other blaze. we were just a short time ago up at a home that had burned on one side, one house burned. firefighters thought they had a handle of it. and then unfortunately, some of the embers caught the next home on fire simply because there was a gas line still going. so as you can see, the crews in there, i mean, dangerous work, but there's just not enough utility crews to go around. there are neighborhoods, neighborhoods that have been leveled here in altadena, and this is one of those areas. we just came off of fair oaks near mendocino here. and literally it's from the corner to the corner, the entire block, all of the houses have been burned. >> and as these fires burn in the southern part of the state, local fire crews are heading to los angeles to help with that

fight. gloria, what can you tell us about who is making their way to the front lines? >> chances are your city's fire department is helping in the battle against the flames. in l.a. county, 14 firefighters from fremont are among those from more than a dozen local fire departments that are assisting. and in addition to those individual firefighters, the bay area is also home to strike teams with the governor's office of emergency services, like one from san mateo. they're now in southern california. the san francisco fire department sent 22 firefighters to the palisades fire, and they could be there for up to two weeks. >> this is what we train for, and we are trying to get there as quickly as possible to help our brothers and sisters in southern california in need. and the people. we have to remember that the mission of the fire service is to protect life, property and environment. and that's what we're going to go down there to do. >> the san jose fire department shared this video showing crews from across santa clara county mobilizing crews from alameda county, oakland, hayward and

menlo park are also on the fire lines in southern california. amanda, gloria. >> thank you. president biden is calling on the pentagon to deliver wildfire help. he was briefed on the disaster yesterday. the president was already in southern california for tuesday's national monument dedication. president biden has directed the nevada national guard to join the fire fight, and called on the u.s. navy to bring in helicopters from san diego. >> this disaster is now turning into a political battle between governor newsom and president elect trump, who is now calling for the governor to resign because of the fires. we have certainly seen these two fight before, during the first trump administration and beyond. abc seven news reporter lena howland is here to break down the claims. >> well, reggie, it didn't take long for president elect trump to put out a call for the governor to resign over the fires, blaming him yesterday for decisions trump thinks made the fires worse. this while governor newsom was touring the devastation in pacific palisades wednesday morning, the president elect initially posted on the

platform truth social, claiming the governor refused to sign what he calls a water restoration declaration, something newsom says does not exist. trump, apparently referring to debates over water flow in the delta, claiming northern california could send more water down south. >> this is a true tragedy, and it's a mistake of the governor and you could say the administration, they don't have any water. >> one can't even respond to it. i mean, it's you know, people are literally fleeing. >> during trump's first presidential term, he was also critical of california's fire management plans. and on the campaign trail just this past october, he threatened to withhold federal funds over water issues. governor newsom's press office also said the document trump is referring to is pure fiction. they said the governor is focused on protecting people and not playing politics and making sure firefighters have all the

resources they need. live in studio lena howland, abc seven news. >> thank you lena. we are staying on top of all the developments coming out of the wildfires in los angeles county. you can get updates as they happen at abc seven news.com and the abc seven bay area app. >> 609 this morning in the accuweather forecast. a live look from the exploratorium camera. clear skies out there. calm winds. we are in store for a warm afternoon, but it is chilly first thing this morning. right now, temperatures in the 30s and 40s. but look at the payoff this afternoon. sunny skies and those temperatures into the 60s and lower 70s. i want to get you an update on the drought monitor. this was just released in the last half hour across southern california. the drought has worsened. los angeles and san diego are now in severe drought. the last time those areas were in severe drought was in 2022. across northern california, we are in good shape here locally in the bay area, parts of the inland east bay are a little dry. this is not considered drought by any means on the drought monitor, but these areas still need some

more rainfall to catch up to where they should be for this time of the year. but much of the bay area is doing just fine. you look at the water, we have been talking about this so much. it's the haves and the have nots. northern california has seen substantial rain. southern california where we have the severe drought. they have not seen rain in eight months. the red flag warning has been extended now across southern california until tomorrow evening. we still have another pulse of strong winds to get through. winds are not bad right now, but that changes throughout the afternoon and into the evening. those winds are going to ramp back up. so the fire weather today, we have a critical fire risk in the same areas. the winds will back off later tomorrow night. reggie drew thank you. >> coming up, closing stores. why? walgreens is shutting down a dozen locations throughout san francisco. increasing security. the new tech the tsa is launching at sfo to survey potential threats. plus, nba all star weekend concert series. the artists set to perform in san francisco next

you can access your fico® score in a snap.

(daughter) what i would give to be able to make art on this scale! (dad) you will one day. but it's equally important for you to be thinking about your future... building credit— (daughter) dad... fargo, what's my fico® score? (dad) wow... it's a work of art. (vo) do you fargo? (daughter) that was corny, but i'll take it. (vo) you can. visit wellsfargo.com/getfargo.

today, a national day of mourning for president jimmy carter. today is the official state funeral at the washington national cathedral. abc news will provide special report coverage of the funeral services that should be starting at about 645 this morning, just before the service at the national cathedral begins. carter will then be buried in georgia next to his wife, rosalynn. live coverage will continue through the conclusion of the service. you can see it wherever you

watch abc seven news. let's get you caught up on the headlines. governor newsom says there are now 7500 firefighters deployed to help fight the fires burning in southern california. the largest right now is the palisades fire, which is west of malibu. the deadliest is the eaton fire near pasadena, with five people killed so far. there's also the house fire near san fernando. the woodley fire that started this morning near van nuys, and the lydia fire east of santa clarita. that broke out around 2 p.m. yesterday. so far, five people have died, and there are also several other injuries. as you can imagine, the property damage is extensive. combined, the fires have destroyed at least 1200 buildings. the palisades fire has burned more than 17,000 acres to the northeast. the eaton fire has ripped through over 10,000 acres in less than 24 hours. and then there's the hurst fire, which is by sylmar. it is at about 700 acres. oscar nominations are being delayed due to the wildfires burning in

southern california. the film academy is extending the voting window for 10,000 academy members by two days to accommodate those affected by the fires. the nfl is monitoring the fires. league officials say monday night's wild card playoff game between the vikings and the la rams could be moved from sofi stadium in inglewood to state farm stadium and state farm stadium in glendale, arizona. and the nominees for this year's screen actors guild awards are officially out now. these were supposed to be announced live this morning, but because of the wildfires, they decided instead to put it out with a press release. wicked and shogun lead the way with five nominations each. the 31st annual sag awards will stream live on netflix february 23rd. kristen bell is the host. >> a dozen walgreens stores throughout san francisco are reportedly set to close for good. here are the 12 locations. according to our media partners, the sf standard. they include known spots where theft has been an issue, but walgreens has not

said if crime is the reason for the closures. these stores are expected to close in late february. >> san francisco is getting ready to host thousands of people for nba all star weekend, which is just a little more than a month away. and this morning, we're learning who will perform during the weekend's concert series. dance pop dj and producer zedd, electronic duo the chainsmokers and a third soon to be announced artist will perform. zedd will kick off the concert series at pier 48 on friday, february 14th. on saturday, the unannounced artist will perform, and then on sunday, the chainsmokers will headline the all star post-game concert. three day general admission tickets cost $400. vip tickets are 650 vip plus whatever that is $1,500. so guess vip plus gets you an elevated viewing platform and closer to the stage. >> so there's a vip section for the vip. like major vip. >> don't make this a thing. i don't need vip plus in my like

in my life, i can barely get ga tickets. >> thank you. i know the $400. i know i love the chainsmokers. would love to see them, but those tickets are expensive. >> djs are having a good year so far. they really are. in san francisco. coming here. that's awesome. all right. this morning we're tracking a nice afternoon on the way. warm conditions, light winds. a live look from our sfo camera showing you it is calm out there this morning. we have clear skies everywhere. no fog this morning. the accuweather headlines. we have warm sunshine coming our way. we could have a couple of records. possible temperatures going more than ten degrees above average this afternoon. the start of the weekend will have some breezy winds returning. no red flag warnings, no wind advisories in effect, but just know we'll have some gusty winds from time to time, 20 to 30mph. and we still keep it rain free. that dry pattern continues the next seven days. so looking at the winds in our hills, they are a bit active, not terribly strong, but from time to time we are seeing gusts 20 to 30mph near the surface, though the winds are calm, so these winds up above

are not translating down to the surface this morning. and we do anticipate light winds throughout the day. it is a colder start this morning and a lot of areas. so this is the coldest morning so far this week. temperatures right now in the 30s and in the 40s for the most part 38 in palo alto, 40 in castro valley into the north bay. we have 30s on the board. so that chilly morning leads to a really nice afternoon. here's future weather into the 50s already by 10 a.m. lunchtime. nice idea. grab a walk outside. it will be beautiful. light winds, full sunshine, and temperatures into the mid 60s and the lower 70s so we could have a few records and a couple of spots later on this afternoon. overnight tonight, winds remain pretty calm. we'll have mainly clear skies and overnight lows in the 30s and in the 40s. let's talk about the weekend forecast. future weather showing you those winds begin to pick up saturday morning, saturday afternoon and saturday evening. there are those winds gusting over 20mph at times not terribly strong, but it will be a noticeable breeze for the first half of the weekend. then by sunday morning the winds

really do back off. we'll keep it dry through the weekend. here's the accuweather seven day forecast the next seven days for you. showing you records possible today. slightly cooler tomorrow. there's that breezy start to the weekend on saturday, calmer winds on sunday, and you notice the pattern remains sunny and dry for much of next week guys. >> all right joe thank you. now let's turn to ginger zee. she's live in altadena with a look at what's coming up on gma. >> good morning ginger. >> good morning to you. so this is the footprint of the deadly eaton fire. you see the vehicle charred behind me. one of hundreds of homes in this neighborhood alone that was disintegrated by this fire. and there are six. you know that i know drew has been covering the winds, but they are the lowest they've been and will be for the next 36 hours, because this is, you know, calm to ten miles per hour, but we're still seeing spot fires. there's a magnet school up the road that's gone on fire. and then they put it out and it's come up in flames again. there have been firefighters on constant rotation, and this isn't even close to where the front line of the fire is. and so again, the eaton fire here is still burning

more than 10,000 acres, i believe is the latest acreage. but the winds tonight are what i'm worried about, right. they kick back up. it's 30 to 50mph. some of the mountaintops could see 6070. when that high pressure system sinks in, you're going to get a more classic santa ana event. it's not great. and there's some upper level support. not like that we saw earlier this week, but but still enough to make a big difference. so we're going to have not just my coverage and forecast, but obviously lots of reporters here bringing you the latest on evacuations. i know a lot of you have family and friends that you're concerned about. so we'll bring all of that and then we'll get into a winter storm, too. from dallas to atlanta. if you're making any travel really tough for the south, i will get into all of it on gma. >> it's so tough to watch this. yeah. and you're right ginger. we have so many friends and family members that have i mean i got a report yesterday of my friend who lost their house in malibu. and so it really it does even though, you know, we're up here in northern california, it still hits close to so many of us here. so i'm glad you're

there to cover it. and we'll be watching this morning, 100 some thousand evacuated that too. and also people without electricity for a pretty long period of time. we will see even for people with moderate-to-severe eczema. touch can make two feel like one. or simply be a helping hand. dupixent can help you stay ahead of eczema as you welcome the feeling of touch. dupixent helps block a key source of inflammation inside the body that can cause eczema to help heal your skin from within. many adults saw 90% clearer skin. some even achieved long-lasting clearer skin and fast itch relief after the first dose. severe allergic reactions can occur. get help right away for face, mouth, tongue or throat swelling, wheezing or trouble breathing. tell your doctor of new or worsening eye problems, like eye pain, vision changes, or blurred vision, joint aches and pain, or a parasitic infection. don't change or stop asthma or other medicines without talking to your doctor. dupixent. the #1 prescribed biologic

by dermatologists and allergists, helps you feel the heal. see the difference for yourself. reach out to your eczema specialist today. dave's been very excited about saving big with the comcast business 5-year price lock guarantee. see the difference for yourself. five years? -five years. and he's not alone. -high five. it's five years of reliable gig speed internet. five years of advanced securit. five years of a great rate that won't change. it's back. but only for a limited time. high five. five years? -nope. comcast business 5-year price lock guarantee. powering five years of savings. powering possibilities. comcast business.

has launched new drone surveillance at sfo to increase

security at the airport. earlier this week, the agency deployed its own small unmanned aircraft system for the first time to survey potential drone threats over sfo. officials say this is an important step toward revolutionizing tools to protect travelers. the tsa aims to expand the use of drones in the future. if you're feeling salty this morning, you might want to check out a new gadget just unveiled at ces. the consumer electronics show. it's called the electric salt spoon. it makes your low sodium food taste saltier without adding any extra salt. instead, it sends an electric current through the spoon to your mouth. the idea is to mimic the sensation of salt hitting your tongue. ces says it features 4300 exhibitors and 1000 startups. the show at the las vegas convention center runs through tomorrow. next, at 630, we continue our coverage of the fires burning in southern

california this morning. abc seven news reporter zach fuentes is there and gives us an update. but first, here's drew. >> yeah, that will be a really important update from zach here in the south bay. a live look at san jose. we have clear skies. it is cool out there 43 degrees. winds are light. but in our hills we are seeing winds gusting over 20mph at times. so sunny skies, warm temperatures today about ten degrees above average. looking at the rainfall forecast over the next ten days, we're not tracking any substantial storms

now, at 630, the country is saying goodbye to former president jimmy carter, former presidents, dignitaries and friends gathering right now as carter makes his way through our nation's capital for today's event. >> we are standing by for a special report from abc news. as carter's funeral is set to get underway in less than an hour. that special report is going to start any minute now. good morning everyone. it is thursday, january 9th. >> we'll get to that coverage as soon as it starts. but we're going to start with drew's forecast. yeah. >> so today it is warm this afternoon. a live look outside from sutro tower. right now we are clear. we are fog free across the board. temperatures though are chilly. this is the coldest start we've had so far

this week. so a lot of us are in the 30s and 40s. you have a bit of a breeze in our hills the santa cruz mountains, the east bay hills. we're seeing winds gusting over 20mph at times throughout the morning. but later on today, it's all about full sunshine. look at these temperatures about ten degrees above average, mid 60s lower 70s on the board. we'll take you to southern california. still tracking the wildfires there. the two major ones. we're really focusing on the palisades fire and the eaton fire. those are the two largest ones burning right now. winds right now are on the lighter side, but they will ramp up throughout the afternoon and throughout the evening. the red flag warning has been extended across southern california until tomorrow night. so you can see across southern california, the winds ramping up this morning and continuing throughout the evening. let's check in with gloria. see those drive times. >> good morning drew. we are tracking a crash over in san mateo. you can see a live look at our camera here from foster city. the backup that we're seeing this is on 92. so if you are driving in this area, if you're driving on the san mateo

bridge, traffic is backed up to foster city boulevard. so this is westbound 92 before 101 in mateo. so to avoid delays, just exit off of foster city boulevard. you can hop onto 101 through hillsdale boulevard. and hopefully that will get you there a little bit sooner. looking at our commuter alert for this morning, if you're taking bart, we do have some backups today. there's about an 18 minute delay if you're traveling between the coliseum and the oakland airport on the oakland airport line, and you can take ac transit bus 73 to help you get to your destination. amanda. reggie aqui. >> gloria. thank you. we're tracking the wildfires in southern california this morning. the estimates show that this is going to be the most expensive fire disaster in history. >> at least five people have died in the eaton fire near pasadena. that fire has burned close to 11,000 acres. the palisades fire is the largest of the fires, and it also is the most destructive. it has burned more than 17,000 acres and destroyed 1200 structures. the hurst fire near sylmar is up to

700 acres. the fire chief from pasadena said firefighters had almost no chance against the flames because of the conditions. >> but i'll be clear, we could have had much more water with those wind gusts. we were not stopping that fire last night. those erratic wind gusts were throwing embers for multiple miles ahead of the fire. and that's really what caused the rapid spread of this fire. >> president biden was briefed on the situation in southern california this morning. he did issue a disaster declaration to cover all of the wildfires. now, abc seven news reporter zach fuentes is in southern california covering the fires. he's in altadena this morning at the eaton fire, where there are still flames burning in the neighborhood, even behind you. zach. >> yeah, that's right. amanda, there's just so much destruction around us as the sun is starting to rise. we're really getting a better look at it right now. i'll just show you this home

behind me. where? a couple days ago, this home was standing. this was an actual place where people were living. maybe a just celebrated the holidays. now it's reduced to this. we're seeing some flames coming through the gas line right now. the same can be said for blocks and blocks in this area. this entire block we're standing on right now is just leveled like you're seeing right now. and again, a wildfire is tragic no matter where it happens. we know so often these happen in remote areas. that is not where we are right now. this is a city. and it's not just the homes that are damaged. there are businesses, schools, churches that are just leveled. this entire community doesn't look anything like it did just a couple of days ago. what you're seeing is a camera passes by. two is this downed power line uh- hanging power lines. that is what we encountered driving up here. the infrastructure around here is so damaged as well from the fires. but remember, this is also a wind event that really fanned the flames and caused this to be what it is throughout southern california with the many fires that we are seeing. so there's a lot of wind damage as well alone. but again, as we're crossing the street here to yet

another home that we are seeing leveled, we've also seen the community really coming together here. i've been telling the story of the man that i got to talk to yesterday who didn't have any water pressure. as we talked about the infrastructure. there's so much demand on the water system here in southern california, in the l.a. area, that there was almost no water pressure for firefighters or the people who stayed behind to try to protect their homes, despite authorities saying not to do that. they don't recommend that. but this one man managed to save his home at the time by using water that his mother collects for plants, and he used that water for his home for neighbors homes. he shoveled dirt on flames and protected his home at that point. but as we keep saying, we're not out of the woods yet, there were still fires burning around his home. this is the same general area we were in yesterday where i talked to that man. and you see how things are right now. there are some homes that are still standing as we look over this way. there are some homes that are still standing, but there is the problem of looters. looters going into those homes, trying to take advantage of these poor people. authorities have made

several arrests, and we have seen law enforcement coming through this area. but like i've been saying all morning, for the people that are trying to take advantage of this moment in bad ways, there are so many people coming together to help. that is really what we have seen. but this community has a lot to rebuild. i don't know what that process looks like. they don't know what that process looks like. but the people i've been speaking with say they will. they are resilient and they will not let their neighbors down. they're going to come together. and a lot of people have been asking me, how can i help? there are ways to help. abc news has that on their website. i've posted it on my social media pages as well, if you'd like to do something, because i know so many people, everybody's hearts going out to this. we're no stranger to this type of disaster in the bay area. so, so many people watching back home i know can relate to this, and it is just tragic to see. but we're going to continue to stay out here, bring you as many updates as we can, as we continue to just evaluate, process and report on this devastation and tragedy. but right now, i'm going to send it back to you. >> all right. zach, thank you for taking us through that. just

widespread tragedy there. the palisades fire is currently the most destructive of the wildfires in the los angeles area. since breaking out yesterday morning, tuesday morning, it has burned at least a thousand buildings. but there are estimates that up to 75% of the homes in pacific palisades are damaged or destroyed. reporter monica deanda was there live today. >> good morning guys. right now we are on lockman lane, and if you're familiar with the palisades area, i got to tell you, we took bienvenida avenue all the way up until we hit lockman. and if you take a look here behind me, this just goes to show we got here at 1:00 this morning, and this house was already on fire. and since then, in these last three hours, we have seen the flames completely engulfed the home. we've seen the minute the windows started going off and you hear pop special report celebrating jimmy carter now reporting david muir. >> good morning, everyone, and i'm so glad you're here with us as a nation remembers a president. thank you for joining

us. as the country pays its final respects today to former president jimmy carter, the 39th president of the united states. the funeral for president carter about to get underway in the national cathedral. jimmy carter, the longest living president in american history, died at his home in plains, georgia, on december 29th. he was 100 years old. today's memorial honoring his remarkable life, dedicated to public service and naval officer. governor, president remembered as humble and gracious, a man of deep faith. president carter has been lying in state at the u.s. capitol since tuesday. this morning, his casket moved from the rotunda to the today's service. following the funeral, he will make his final trip home to plains, georgia, where he will be laid to rest alongside former first lady rosalynn carter. of course, his beloved wife of 77 years, america's five living presidents are expected to attend today's service. president joe biden will deliver the eulogy for his friend. also in the cathedral, president barack obama, president george w bush, president bill clinton, president elect donald trump, the first lady's respective first ladies, each expected to

be there in the cathedral. today, president biden remembering jimmy carter as a remarkable leader, a statesman, a humanitarian, calling him a dear friend. after leaving office, the former president dedicated his life to peace missions, upholding democracy around the world, eradicating disease. he received the nobel peace prize in 2002. he was deeply involved in social issues at home and overseas. he worked tirelessly building houses with habitat for humanity and continued to teach sunday school. among the many tributes during the service, there will be a eulogy today written by president carter's former vice president, walter mondale. he died in 2021. his son believes his father wrote the eulogy about 2015 or so, when jimmy carter revealed he had brain cancer. of course, carter went on to live about another nine years. mondale's eulogy to his friend will be read by his son today in a very powerful moment. as you can see, the former president, the casket has now arrived at the cathedral. i'm joined by our entire team today. i want to start with our chief washington correspondent,

jonathan karl, who is at the cathedral. jon, what do you make of the scene playing out this morning? >> david? a fitting tribute to a man of decency, a man of drive and ambition, but also humility. arguably the greatest ex-president of the united states ever. to see those five living presidents there. also, by the way, five living vice presidents here, the members of the justices of the supreme court, so many others paying tribute to a man who dedicated his life to helping others. a man who lived to be 100 years old. we've never had a president live so long or do so much for so many. after he left the white house, jon karl outside the national cathedral. >> linsey davis, we have been paying tribute to a former president who defined his life of public service, in particular, with the decades of service that came after the presidency. >> of course, david, and one has

to wonder because he was such a no muss, no fuss man in life, that if in part, at least some of the pomp that we've been witnessing over the last few days is because of the circumstances, when his presidency concluded in 1981, there was a perception that he was largely an ineffective president. but he did have some successes, and one that i'm mindful of today. david, as you are there covering those fires in los angeles, as we all witnessed the heartbreak that in 1979 it was jimmy carter who founded fema, the administration, that no doubt in the days and years ahead will certainly be a large part of the recovery efforts there. it was the fema administrator this week who said, much like he lived his life in service to others, he laid the groundwork for generations of emergency managers dedicated to putting people first. >> david, one very important part of his legacy indeed. lindsay, i want to bring in mary

jordan, our contributor and associate editor for the washington post. mary has covered jimmy carter for so long, and we saw mary, members of the family arriving there this morning. i think for the carter family, we have been able to see it on their faces. we've had them on our air with us during this week of tributes and services, and they do seem grateful. finally, they believe for an appreciation for their father, their grandfather, a man who devoted his life to public service in this country. >> yes. and boy, that crowd that's assembled in the national cathedral. first of all, it's been since 2018, george h.w. bush's funeral, when all the presidents got together like this. but also we see jd vance, members of the supreme court, congress, republicans, democrats. one of the things that jimmy carter preached when he was in sunday school was, we need a willingness to listen to people that we don't always agree with. and so here at his funeral, there are certainly people that don't agree with

each other, but they're all there in the pews to honor him. >> no question about that. a moment of unity in the country when it's needed. in very polarizing times. certainly jimmy carter knew that he was hoping to survive through the election. he did so that he could vote for the vice president, kamala harris. obviously, she did not win. jimmy carter reached out to donald trump when he was president, was critical of him, but also tried to reach out to him with thoughts of his own on domestic and foreign policy. as we await this moment here inside the cathedral, we've seen john kerry, former secretary of state, former senator from massachusetts john kerry, arriving there a short time ago, former vice president al gore also there at the cathedral, former vice president mike pence, who has spoke openly about the importance of obviously democracy but peaceful transfer of power in these recent days. commending the vice president harris for certifying

the election of donald j. trump. he's there in attendance today. obviously, the president elect, donald trump, is expected to be there as well. you're seeing members of the supreme court, the chief justice, also, brett kavanaugh there, multiple members, in fact, of the high court, justin trudeau, the outgoing prime minister of canada. you can see right there, he announced just in recent days that he would be stepping down amid pressure at home and pressure from the incoming president here in the united states, donald trump putting pressure on canada, threatening tariffs. justin trudeau at the cathedral amid so much news, the vice president elect, j.d. vance, right there with his wife. and hunter biden, the son of the president, there to listen to his father deliver the eulogy for his friend jimmy carter. president biden and first lady jill biden traveled to plains, georgia, in a very public moment to visit the carters at their home. they were determined to do that. we did

not see that through the years. there were many visits behind the scenes with the carters, but the bidens were determined to, in a very public way, give the carters the respect they believe they deserved. after so many decades of public service after the presidency. you can pence, al gore sitting there together and these are the kinds of moments and they're very rare, particularly in these times. but it is somewhat reassuring, isn't it, to see people from both sides of the aisle gathered. martha raddatz watching this with us here today as well. and, martha, these are these are the moments few and far between, but very important, particularly in these times. >> so important to see a j.d. vance and the president elect expected to be there as well in this moment, in this moment of division and polarization, as you say, david, in this country. but that was something that jimmy carter did so well, brought people together. and for

so many, he has been a north star of being an honorable person, a dignified person, a caring person and an authentic person. i know that word is often overused now, but jimmy carter defined authenticity. he was a person who is more comfortable with himself than anyone i've ever met with, with his flaws, with his, with his graciousness. and he always looked you in the eye. i interviewed him a couple of times as a as a very young reporter. and i just remember i first of all, i was terrified, but he made me feel so comfortable because i knew he was really talking to me. and he he did that to everyone. there was not a phony bone in that man's body. and for politicians, that is a very, very rare quality. >> david, as you know, martha raddatz, it's hard to imagine you terrified in any situation,

though. nice to hear that the former president put you at ease. very solemn moment here approaching at the cathedral. and steve osunsami, i want to get a few words from you as well as you watch from georgia, where eventually jimmy carter will be going home. >> i'm struck, david, that by the fact that this is really a truly american moment. this is a former peanut farmer, a christian who began his political career in rural georgia, who ascended to the presidency. only in america does that happen. i'm also struck by the fact that the way we grieve in this moment is also truly american black, white, republican, democrat, rural, urban. they all came out to say goodbye to jimmy carter to respect him not just as a president, but also as a

remarkable human being. >> and steve osunsami, you were the last to interview the carters together. they talked about the secret to a long, happy, fulfilling, faith driven marriage 77 years. but you also know jimmy carter was not a fan of the pomp and circumstance that came with the presidency. but but, steve, you have to imagine he would have appreciated the honors, particularly the military honors the nation has bestowed upon him this week. >> he would have. he certainly would have also thought that this was a bit much. he was as i as i often say, and as people would say, a stubbornly frugal man who did not like waste. he he did not even at his own home, allow his family to buy him things that he necessarily that he might have needed appliances. he lived in a small home on a country road. his library, which i'm standing at behind me. he had an apartment here, and when

he and mrs. carter would, would stay in atlanta, they would sleep on a murphy bed. you know, there are so many, so many things he could have done, so many grand things he could have done instead. this is a man who, even when he fell and hurt his eye, was out there hammering nails into homes, building homes for the poor. they don't make them like this anymore. a lot of people will tell you about jimmy carter, and he was a shining example for so many people of what it meant to be a true christian, what it meant to be a student of the human spirit, what it meant to be a father. and as we've been saying, so much of this occurred after his presidency. there are people all across the world who have photos of jimmy carter on airplanes. he had a practice where he would shake the hands of every single

person on the plane. i happened to be on one of those flights, but i am struck in that last interview that i did with him and mrs. carter three years ago about the love that he had for his wife. he always loved his wife. she was a part of his success, a part of his secret sauce. he called her his secret weapon, and it was heartbreaking to see him lose her. not just for. for the family, but for the world. because it was so clear how much he loved rosalynn. i talked with jason carter last week who told me that in his final days, they knew that the former president was ready to go because he was talking about wanting to see rosalynn again. and because of that, they were at peace with it and felt that he was also at peace with his passing.

>> wanted to see rosalynn again. and, steve, you're you're reporting in connection with the carter family has been so impactful, and we appreciate it. certainly in these last few weeks, more than ever. terry moran watching along from washington. and terry, we heard steve describe a former president who flew commercial who would shake the hands of everyone on a plane as he walked down the aisle. and in the end, it wasn't the presidency that taught us lessons. it was actually his actions and what he was determined to do quietly, but with purpose. >> that's so true, david. and it it's clear that in honoring and paying tribute to jimmy carter, we're honoring a way of being an american, a way of living an american life that in many ways seems to be passing these days, born in that tiny town, plains, georgia, in the deep south, which was when he rose to the presidency, a political

hinterland, and yet got to washington, became a citizen of the world, one of the leading citizens of the world, but always went home to his hometown. that 77 year marriage, obviously a deep love that was formed and structured by a sincere christian faith, and that neighborliness that you're talking about, that he would walk down the aisle of those planes and shake hands. there is the frugality as well. some of these are old american virtues that seem in many ways in a in a much more divided and hectic time to be passing. and i think people feel that when they consider the life of jimmy carter and they're honoring it. terry martin. >> terry moran, our thanks to you. president elect donald trump, melania trump, former first lady, soon to be first lady again at the cathedral.

president elect has been critical of jimmy carter even in recent days, as the country was remembering him, with mr. trump talking about jimmy carter's moves involving the panama canal, but also making it clear that he would attend this service. and i think that's really important across the board for all of these presidents, no matter what party they're from, to, you know, send a signal to the country that in these moments, we can and must look at this moment here, former vice president mike pence shaking the hand of the president elect and the first lady, melania trump, obviously shaking hands with al gore. but of particular note there, the interaction with mike pence. that was fascinating to watch. jon karl. >> oh, it really was mike pence who served donald trump so loyally and had such a

spectacular break with him on january 6th. you know, seeing the five presidents together, it is such a moment, a rare moment that you saw barack obama, such a rare moment in american history when we see the presidents get together. it's been about seven years since the funeral of george h.w. bush. so five current and former presidents, we will see there there's barack obama. we're also going to hear the words of a sixth former president, david stephen ford, the son of former president gerald ford, who died almost 20 years ago, is going to read a tribute, a eulogy to jimmy carter that was written by his father, that was written by president ford. ford wrote it shortly before he died, wanted to pay tribute to the man who beat him. gerald ford, lost to jimmy carter. jimmy carter became president. there's a moment right there. barack obama

sitting next to president trump. suffice it to say something, you just don't see it is not a common occurrence. >> that is so much history. barack obama, a campaigning for the vice president, kamala harris. obviously she did not prevail. and now sitting next to donald trump, exchanging a smile, former president george w bush, former first lady laura bush. shaking the hands. and this, as jimmy carter probably would have liked, is somewhat cathartic for a country that the vast majority of people truly hunger for some sort of, you know, connection and way forward to try to erase some of these dividing lines. the bushes, barack obama, donald and melania

trump. here we see former president bill clinton, former first lady hillary clinton, former secretary of state, obviously. his voice on the left in that back row, dan quayle shaking the hand of bill clinton a moment ago, al gore, who was obviously bill clinton's vice president. chapters of history, if you will, obviously, hillary clinton, having run against donald trump in 2016, losing that election in the electoral college in a very close election, winning the popular vote by soldiers returning here with her husband sitting next to george w bush, where she has been seated many times before. easily. it wouldn't be fascinating to be able to hear the conversation right now. terry moran between barack obama

and donald trump, it sure would. >> i mean, you're looking at generations of presidential history, but that in particular donald trump there and barack obama, two men who have fought as fiercely and as personally as the two operatively as any people in, in american history, any, any presence in american history, they're chatting away. and it occurs to me that it could be this, this reelection of donald trump, who will pursue an agenda that barack obama will no doubt totally oppose. but this reelection settles things in the country a bit. it it's almost as if trump felt, with not winning the popular vote in 2016, that he would in some ways not have been legitimate or was refused legitimacy by many people in the united states. now, there's no doubt he's he's the major politician of this era. and maybe there's more to

talk about, more to share. and there are just two politicians who are able to get along with people they despise. not that they do, but they're practiced at it. but it is fascinating. >> it's also fascinating in light of the fact that jimmy carter, who obviously was a lifelong democrat, though he would say along the way that it was difficult to define him in strictly democrat terms versus republican. he was very conservative in many ways. he had a deep faith, as many democrats do, and republicans in this country. and he wasn't afraid to show how deep that faith was. obviously, taking a pause here in the music, in the program, we're expecting at any moment the casket to be brought in. you're seeing the vice president, kamala harris, now arrive with second gentleman doug emhoff, vice president harris delivering the eulogy at the rotunda just two days ago for the former president. today,

it will be her boss, president biden, who will deliver the eulogy for his friend jimmy carter. these are studied every time they happen, and they are few and far between. but we saw that glance back to barack obama and to donald trump from the vice president, kamala harris. and with every glance you wonder, will there be a smile or a hello? there wasn't in that moment, but obviously they're all conversing with one another and not necessarily easy to say hello. but the interpersonal dynamics are something all we studied in these situations, particularly after a hard fought campaign that ended just a few weeks back. kamala harris and her 107 day campaign against donald trump stepping in to be the top of the ticket. she did not win. and as terry moran mentioned, donald trump winning

the electoral college and the popular vote this time holds slight majorities in the house and in the senate. it will allow republicans to move forward with donald trump's agenda, but also place them in the position of answering to the fact that they do hold slight majorities, and every move they make will be watched closely, certainly by the political reporters in washington and really by the american people who sent a message that regardless of what party is leading us, and even if the economy is strong in a number of accounts, we're not feeling it. and that message was sent loud and clear. to mary jordan. these moments are always profound, not only because of the loss and because of the history behind each one of these leaders when a nation remembers them, but also because

we see these moments of the presidents and the first ladies coming together at a time when we really don't see much of this anymore, it's noticeable that michelle obama is not there. >> i don't see her, but melania trump, you know, she's she's probably the most enigmatic, mysterious first lady that we've had in modern history. she doesn't talk much. she's as quiet as her husband is outgoing. you see, he's talking. they're leaning in, talking to barack obama, making him laugh. and she's pretty much straight forward looking. it's going to be interesting to have her back in the white house because she was born overseas. english is her second language, she said. it was pretty hard the first time around, but now she's in the club there. of people that