Jimmy Carter says he'll attend Donald Trump's inauguration

Former Democratic President Jimmy Carter said he'll watch as Republican President-elect Donald Trump is sworn in as the next president of the United States in January.

Carter, 92, said Sunday he'll attend Trump's inauguration in Washington D.C. on Jan. 20. The former president and Georgia governor made the announcement at the start of the Sunday school class he was teaching at Maranatha Baptist Church in his hometown of Plains, Georgia.

Carter, who was outspoken about his support for Hillary Clinton, said in September that the Democratic presidential nominee could count on a solid voting bloc from Georgia.

"In my family we have 22 voters, direct descendants of me and Rosalynn," Carter said with reference to his wife. "In the 2008 presidential campaign, Obama got 22 votes out of 22. I would guess that this time Hillary Clinton will get 22 votes from the Carter family."

In February, Carter said he thought Trump's chances would ultimately "fade away," but he suggested the real-estate mogul might not be the worst possible choice.

When asked who he would choose if he had to decide between Texas Sen. Ted Cruz and Trump for the Republican nomination, Carter said: "I think I would choose Trump, which may surprise some of you."

"The reason is, Trump has proven already he's completely malleable," Carter said. "I don't think he has any fixed (positions) he'd go the White House and fight for. On the other hand, Ted Cruz is not malleable. He has far right wing policies he'd pursue if he became president."

Carter, who defeated incumbent Republican Gerald Ford in 1976, was inaugurated on Jan. 20, 1977. Four years later, he took part in the peaceful transition of power to Republican Ronald Reagan, who'd defeated him in his bid for a second term.

Carter and his wife returned to Georgia, where they created the Carter Center. In 2002, the former president was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for his "decades of untiring effort to find peaceful solutions to international conflicts, to advance democracy and human rights and to promote economic and social development."

Cox Media Group