WASHINGTON 鈥� President Joe Biden said Tuesday the conviction of former Minneapolis Police Officer Derek Chauvin in the killing of George Floyd 鈥渃an be a giant step forward鈥� for the nation in the fight against systemic racism. But he declared that "it's not enough.鈥�
Biden spoke from the White House hours after the verdict alongside
鈥淲e can鈥檛 stop here," Biden declared.
Biden and Harris called on Congress to act swiftly to address policing reform, including by approving a bill named for Floyd, who died with his neck under Chauvin鈥檚 knee last May. Beyond that, the president said, the entire country must confront hatred to 鈥渃hange hearts and minds as well as laws and policies.鈥�
鈥溾�業 can鈥檛 breathe.鈥� Those were George Floyd鈥檚 last words,鈥� Biden said. 鈥淲e can鈥檛 let those words die with him. We have to keep hearing those words. We must not turn away. We can鈥檛 turn away.鈥�
Harris, the first Black woman to serve as
鈥淚t is not just a Black America problem or a people of
鈥淎 measure of justice isn鈥檛 the same as equal justice,鈥� she said.
Biden addressed the nation after telephoning Floyd鈥檚 family following the verdict, telling them, 鈥淲e鈥檙e all so relieved.鈥� He added later that he sought to comfort Floyd鈥檚 young daughter Gianna, telling her, 鈥淒addy did change the world.鈥�
After about 10 hours of deliberations over two days, the jury convicted Chauvin of two counts of murder and one of manslaughte r.
The verdict 鈥� and the aftermath 鈥� will be a continuing test for Biden. He has pledged to help combat racism in policing, helping African Americans who supported him in large numbers in last year's election in the wake of protests that swept the nation after Floyd鈥檚 death and restarted a national conversation about race. But he also has long projected himself as an ally of police, who are struggling with criticism about long-used tactics and training methods and difficulties in recruitment.
Earlier Tuesday, Biden broke his administration鈥檚 silence on the trial, which has set the nation on edge for weeks, saying he was praying for 鈥渢he right verdict.鈥�
Speaking from the Oval Office while the jury was deliberating in Minneapolis, Biden said, 鈥淚鈥檓 praying the verdict is the right verdict. I think it鈥檚 overwhelming, in my view. I wouldn鈥檛 say that unless the jury was sequestered now.鈥�
The president had repeatedly denounced Floyd鈥檚 death but had previously stopped short of weighing in on Chauvin鈥檚 trial, with White House officials saying it would be improper to speak out during active judicial proceedings. On Tuesday, White House press secretary Jen Psaki repeatedly refused to explain Biden鈥檚 comments, doing nothing to dispel the impression that he thought Chauvin should be found guilty.
The White House had been privately weighing how to handle the verdict, dispatching specially trained community facilitators from the Justice Department in anticipation of potential protests, officials said. With word that a verdict had been reached Tuesday afternoon, Biden postponed planned remarks at the White House on his infrastructure package.
On Monday, Judge Peter Cahill, who presided over the trial, admonished public officials about speaking out while the trial was ongoing.
鈥淚 wish elected officials would stop talking about this case, especially in a manner that鈥檚 disrespectful to the rule of law and to the judicial branch and our function,鈥� he said shortly after sending the jury to begin deliberations.
Cahill delivered his rebuke after rejecting a
On Monday, Cahill ordered that jurors be sequestered in an undisclosed hotel during their deliberations and instructed them to avoid all news about the case.
Despite Cahill鈥檚 remarks, Brock Hunter, a criminal
鈥淚t鈥檚 inevitable that public officials are going to comment on a case and its impacts on communities,鈥� he said. 鈥淯nless there is direct evidence that statements by a public official directly impacted a juror or jurors, I don鈥檛 think this even gets off the ground.鈥�
On Capitol Hill, Republicans as well as Democrats said they were relived at the verdict and predicted it could give momentum to policing reform legislation that has been proposed in both the House and Senate.
鈥淚 think the verdict just reinforces that our justice system continues to become more just,鈥� said Tim Scott of South Carolina, the only Black Republican senator. 鈥淭his is a monumental day in many ways, in my opinion.鈥�
The Congressional Black Caucus watched the verdict together in the Capitol, and members hugged and fist pumped after the verdict was read.
鈥淭he room was filled with emotion and gratitude,鈥� said Georgia Rep. Hank Johnson. 鈥淏lack lives mattered to this jury. And I鈥檓 very gratified at the verdict, very happy at the swiftness of the verdict. ... It鈥檚 a vindication of justice in America.鈥�
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi joined the Black Caucus shortly afterward at a news conference outside, where she said she had spoken to Floyd鈥檚 family just before the verdict. She said she called 鈥渢o say to them, 鈥楾hank you, God bless you, for your grace and your dignity, for the model that you are appealing for justice in the most dignified way.鈥欌��
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Associated Press writers Colleen Long, Doug Glass, Mary Clare Jalonick, Lisa Mascaro, Alan Fram and Kevin Freking contributed to this report.
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Find AP鈥檚 full coverage of the death of George Floyd at: https://apnews.com/hub/death-of-george-floyd
Jonathan Lemire, Zeke Miller And Michael Balsamo, The Associated Press
