Joe Biden Speaks with George Floyd Family Before Derek Chauvin Verdict

President Joe Biden reached out to the family of George Floyd on Monday, the White House confirmed.

Biden spoke with the family to “check in with them and also share that the family was in his prayers,” White House press secretary Jen Psaki confirmed on social media.

President Biden spoke with the family of George Floyd yesterday to check in with them and also share that the family was in his prayers.

— Jen Psaki (@PressSec) April 20, 2021

Biden also met with the Floyd family during the 2020 presidential campaign as violent protests and looting swept across some of America’s major cities.

In a campaign speech after the meeting, Biden vowed justice for the family.

“I promise you, we’ll do everything in our power to see to it that justice is had for your brother, your cousin’s case,” he said, speaking to the family.

Biden described Floyd’s killing as an “act of brutality” and called for all Americans to “grapple” with their “complacency” on issues of police shootings.

“Nothing about this will be easy or comfortable, but if we simply allow this wound to scab over once more without treating the underlying injury, we’ll never truly heal,” he said at the time. “The very soul of America is at stake.”

The White House said Monday that Biden would likely speak to the nation after the jury in the Chauvin trial delivered their verdict.

Authorities are bracing for more rioting and looting across the country, particularly if Chauvin is not convicted of murder. He was charged with second-degree unintentional murder, third-degree murder, and second-degree manslaughter after the death of Floyd.

The trial became sharply political after Rep. Maxine Waters called for protesters to “get more confrontational” if Chauvin was not convicted of murder.

“We’re looking for a guilty verdict. And we’re looking to see if all of the talk that took place and has been taking place after they saw what happened to George Floyd, if nothing does not happen, then we know that we’ve got to not only stay in the street, but we’ve got to fight for justice,” she said. “But I am very hopeful, and I hope we are going to get a verdict that says ‘guilty, guilty, guilty.’ If we don’t, we cannot go away.”