As the nation braces itself for the verdict in the Derek Chauvin trial, President Joe Biden apparently called the family of George Floyd to offer condolences, a move which may impact the final verdict of the trial.
On Monday’s edition of NBC’s “TODAY Show,” Floyd’s younger brother Philonse revealed that President Biden had called the family that day to “let us know he was praying for us and hoping everything would come out to be ok.”
“He knows how it is to lose a family member, and he knows the process of what we’re going through,” Philonse reflected, alluding to the death of Joe Biden’s son Beau in 2015.
This is not the first time Biden has contacted the family, having reached out to them soon after Floyd’s death.
While the President has promised to not comment on the case in an official or public manner until after the verdict, there is little doubt which way he hopes the case will go, given his rhetoric about Black Lives Matter and police brutality last year on the campaign trail and especially after this phone call.
The phone call, which took place as jury deliberation began, could potentially influence their final decision, given his very important position and clearly vested interest in the result of this case.
Biden is not the only government official actively influencing the outcome of this case. Just in the last few days, both the mayor of Minneapolis and Democrat Congresswoman Maxine Waters (D-CA) have made statements that may sway the decision in an unfair manner.
Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey said during a press conference that no matter the verdict, “we know” that George Floyd died at the hands of police. Meanwhile, Rep. Waters called for protesters to not let up and get more unruly, especially in the event that Chauvin is aquitted. Water’s calls for violence nearly resulted in a mistrial yesterday, with the Judge lambasting her comments as “abhorrent.”
The final verdict for the trial, as well as Biden’s official statement, is expected later this week.
