Biden says Carter asked him to deliver his eulogy

March 14 (UPI) -- Former President Jimmy Carter, who is in hospice care in Georgia, has asked Joe Biden to deliver his eulogy, the president said.

President Joe Biden made announcement Monday evening before some 40 attendees to a Democratic National Committee fundraiser at a private residence in Rancho Santa Fe, Calif., which is located about 25 miles north of San Diego, according to pool press reports.

"I spent time with Jimmy Carter and it's finally caught up with him, but they found a way to keep him going for a lot longer than they anticipated because they found a breakthrough," he said.

"He asked me to do his eulogy," the president added before excusing himself, seemingly for making the revelation.

"Excuse me -- I shouldn't say that."

Carter, who was president of the United States from 1977 to 1981 and is the oldest living president in history at 98 years of age, decided Feb. 18 to spend his remaining days in hospice care at his Pains, Ga., home, his charity, The Carter Foundation, said in a statement Feb. 18.

Carter's foundation said that the decision followed "a series of short hospital stays."

Late last month, Leanne Smith, a niece of the former president, said "he's still got some time in him."

White House press secretary Karin Jean-Pierre told reporters Feb. 23 following the announcement that Carter had entered hospice care that the two presidents have had a relationship for decades.

"It goes back to 1976 when then-Gov. Carter was running for president and then-Sen. Biden was the first senator to have endorsed Jimmy at that time," she said.

"President Carter is someone that President Biden truly respects."