Joe Biden took the opportunity to take a shot at Donald Trump while paying tribute to former President Jimmy Carter.
Asked if there was anything the president-elect could take from Carter, who died on Sunday aged 100, Biden said: “Decency, decency, decency.”
The president went on to draw a stark contrast between the gentleman farmer from Georgia and the often brash and abrasive Trump.
“Can you imagine Jimmy Carter walking by someone who needed something and just keep walking?” asked Biden, inferring that was something he perceived that Trump might do.
His next remark was even more pointed and was a clear reference to Trump hurling insults at him—he has at various times called him a “dummy” and a “loser” and nicknamed him “Sleepy Joe”—and at other political opponents.
“Can you imagine Jimmy Carter referring to someone by the way they look or the way they talk? I can’t,” continued Biden.
In what could be seen as a warning to Trump and his new administration, Biden said the world was watching America’s values.
“The rest of the world looks to us. And he was worth looking to,” he added, referencing Carter.
Breaking off from his family vacation in the U.S. Virgin Islands, Biden said it was a “sad day” for America and the world to lose such a “remarkable leader” and a friend.
“Jimmy Carter stands as a model for what it means to live a life of meaning and purpose,” he said. “I see a man not only for our times, but for all time. We could all do well to be a little more like Jimmy Carter.”
On X, formerly known as Twitter, Biden also wrote: “Jimmy Carter lived a life measured not by words, but by deeds. Just look at his life’s work. With his compassion and moral clarity, he lifted people up, changed lives, and saved lives all over the globe.”
The Nobel Peace Prize winner, who was president between 1977 and 1981, died at his home in Plains, Georgia.
Trump also paid tribute to Carter, saying: “The challenges Jimmy faced as President came at a pivotal time for our country, and he did everything in his power to improve the lives of all Americans. For that, we all owe him a debt of gratitude.”
