Update!

President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris Call George Floyd's Family After Verdict

Hours after Derek Chauvin was found guilty of murder, President Joe Biden and Vice President spoke to both George Floyd's family and the country. See what the family thought of the act.

By Mike Vulpo Apr 21, 2021 4:40 PMTags
Watch: Derek Chauvin Guilty: Kerry Washington & More Celebs React

UPDATE: George Floyd's family is reflecting on the phone call they received from President Joe Biden.

While appearing on the April 21 episode of The View, George's brother Philonise Floyd explained what the interaction meant to him. "He came to visit us numerous times since the act of what happened to George," he shared with Meghan McCain and the co-hosts. "He was just telling us he knows how it feels to lose someone and he was praying for us. So, that's basically what everything was about. He just made us feel a lot better because the president has so much to do and he spent just that time with us. That made us all feel good."

Ben Crump, who serves as the Floyd's family attorney added, "I think President Biden was a lot like your father, Meghan, John McCain. He understood people. He understood how to empathize with people in their most darkest moments. I thought that's what America needed. We needed people to see the humanity in George Floyd like we see the humanity in others. I thought that was very special and important for America."

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President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris have reached out to George Floyd's family after a jury found Derek Chauvin guilty of murder.

According to NBC News, the president and vice president watched the verdict with staff in the White House's private dining room on Tuesday, April 20.

Following the announcement of the verdict, the president spoke with Minnesota Governor Tim Walz. He also joined the vice president and First Lady Dr. Jill Biden in speaking with George's brother Philonise Floyd from the Oval Office.

According to video posted on attorney Ben Crump's Twitter, President Biden praised the Floyd family for their strength during the highly publicized case.

"You've been incredible, [an] incredible family," he shared. "I wish I was there to put my arms around you...We've been watching every second of this, the vice president, all of us we're all so relieved. Not just one verdict, but all three, guilty on all three counts. And it's really important."

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Celebrities Attending Protests Over George Floyd's Death

The president continued, "I'm anxious to see you guys. I really am. We're going to get a lot more done. We're going to do a lot. We're going to stay at it until we get it done."

Earlier in the day, the Hennepin County Court announced a 12-member jury found Chauvin guilty of second-degree unintentional murder, third-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter in the May 25, 2020 death of Floyd.

Chauvin will be sentenced at a later date. He faces a maximum sentence of 40 years in prison. 

In her phone call with the Floyd family, Vice President Harris called the ruling "a day for justice in America."

Courtesy Ben Crump Law

"I'm just so thankful to the entire family," she explained. "Your courage, your commitment your strength has been a strength to so many people."

The vice president added, "In George's name and memory, we are going to make sure his legacy is intact, and that history will look back at this moment and know this is an inflection moment. You have sacrificed so much, your family, but we really do believe that with your leadership and the president that we have in the White House, that we're going to make something good come out of this tragedy."

Following today's verdict, Crump, who represents Floyd's family, reacted to the news with a statement on Twitter.

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Community Members React as Derek Chauvin is Found Guilty in George Floyd's Death

"GUILTY! Painfully earned justice has finally arrived for George Floyd's family," Crump shared. "This verdict is a turning point in history and sends a clear message on the need for accountability of law enforcement. Justice for Black America is justice for all of America!"

 

BRENDAN SMIALOWSKI/AFP via Getty Images

In a televised press conference, Vice President Harris reiterated her support for the George Floyd Justice and Policing Act, a bill she claimed "would hold law enforcement accountable and help build trust between law enforcement and our communities."

"A measure of justice isn't the same as equal justice," she said. "This verdict brings us a step closer and the fact is we still have work to do. We still must reform the system...This bill is part of George Floyd's legacy. The president and I will continue to urge the senate to pass this legislation." 

Originally published April 20, 202 at 4:34 p.m. PST