(CNN) Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam took some veiled shots at President Donald Trump as he was sworn in as the 73rd governor of the commonwealth Saturday, telling a crowd gathered in Richmond, "You don't have to be loud to lead."

"It can be hard to find our way in a time when there's so much shouting, when nasty, shallow tweets take the place of honest debate, and when scoring political points gets in the way of dealing with real problems," Northam said in his inaugural address.

Northam, who defeated Republican Ed Gillespie in a closely watched race, also said Virginia and the country need a moral compass now more than ever.

On election night, Northam also appeared to call out Trump while not mentioning him by name.

"Virginia has told us to end the divisiveness, that we will not condone hatred and bigotry, and to end the politics that have torn this country apart," he said.

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