President Biden addressed the nation on Sunday following the death of former President Jimmy Carter, praising the late statesman and also taking a swipe at the sitting president in his speech.

Biden, who sounded hoarse during the speech, said he had “lost a dear friend” on Sunday and noted that he had known Carter for more than 50 years. Carter died at age 100 in Plains, Georgia, after spending nearly two years in hospice care.

In his remarks, Biden said Carter was a role model of “what it means to live a life of meaning and purpose, a life of principle, faith and humility.”

“Some look at Jimmy Carter and see a man of a bygone era with honesty and character. Faith and humility were important, but I don’t think it’s a bygone era,” Biden said. “We would all do well to try to be more like Jimmy Carter.”

JIMMY CARTER, 39TH PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES, DIED AT 100

Biden criticized Donald Trump during a speech about Jimmy Carter’s legacy on Sunday. (Getty Images)

Biden said his fondest memory of Carter came in the 1970s, when the then-governor of Georgia asked Biden for help with his presidential campaign.

“He grabbed me by the arm and said, ‘I need your help with my campaign,'” Biden recalled. “I said, ‘I’ve only been here a few years, Governor.’ He said, ‘No, this will make a difference.'”

“I said, ‘I’m not sure that’s going to be the case,'” Biden added. “When I endorsed him for president, I told him why (I) endorsed him and that it was not just because of his policies but also because of his character, his decency and the honor he brought to everyone.”

JIMMY, ROSALYNN CARTER’S LIVING ROOM FOR HUMANITY’S LEGACY WILL CONTINUE, THE ORGANIZATION SAYS

Jimmy Carter, Rosalynn Carter and their children are shown during the 1980 Democratic National Convention in New York City. (Ron Galella)

When a reporter asked Biden what President-elect Trump should draw from Carter’s legacy, Biden replied: “Decency.”

“Decency, decency, decency. …Can you imagine Jimmy Carter walking past someone who needed something and just moving on? Can you imagine Jimmy Carter talking to someone based on their looks or their manner?”

Biden’s speech came after Trump issued his own statement on Carter’s death.

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Former President Jimmy Carter (Hulton Archive/Getty Images)

“Those of us who have been fortunate enough to have served as president understand that this is a very exclusive club, and only we can understand the enormous responsibility of leading the greatest nation in history,” Trump wrote on Truth Social. “The challenges Jimmy faced as president came at a crucial time for our country, and he did everything in his power to improve the lives of all Americans. We all owe him a huge debt of gratitude for that.”

Trump later wrote that although he “strongly disagreed” with Carter philosophically and politically, he recognized that the former president “truly loved and respected” the United States and everything it stands for.

“He worked hard to make America a better place, and for that I give him my highest respect,” Trump said. “He was really a good man and of course we will miss him very much. He was also very consequential, far more so than most presidents, after leaving the Oval Office.”

Fox News Digital’s Greg Wehner contributed to this report.