President Joe Biden said Tuesday that he hopes the verdict in former police Officer Derek Chauvin’s trial is the “right verdict,” also saying that he believes the evidence is “overwhelming.”

What You Need To Know

  • The president said Tuesday that he hopes the outcome of the Derek Chauvin trial is the "right verdict"

  • Press Secretary Psaki later said the president didn't intend to weigh in on the verdict but that he's been watching the trial closely

  • The jury began deliberating the verdict Monday evening, away from the public and media

  • President Biden also spoke with George Floyd's family Monday night and said they are calling for "peace" no matter the trial's outcome

Chauvin is facing murder and manslaughter charges for the death of George Floyd, the most serious of which carries a 40-year prison sentence. The jury began deliberating Monday night from a hotel, cut off from the public or news media. 

Biden spoke with Floyd’s family Monday night after deliberations began, according to White House press secretary Jen Psaki.

“I've come to know George's family. In the past, I've spent time with them,” Biden said Tuesday from the Oval Office. “I can only imagine the pressure and anxiety they are feeling.”

George Floyd’s brother, Philonise Floyd, spoke about the phone call on NBC’s “Today” show.

“He knows how it is to lose a family member, and he knows the process of what we’re going through,” he said. “So he was just letting us know that he was praying for us, hoping that everything will come out to be OK."

Biden also said Tuesday that he is hoping for a specific outcome in the trial.

“I’m praying the verdict is the right verdict,” he said. “I think it’s overwhelming, in my view.”

Psaki later said the president’s comments were not meant to weigh in on the trial’s outcome.

“The president has clearly been watching the trial closely,” Psaki said in a briefing.

“We’re not going to get ahead of the outcome,” she added. “I expect when there is a verdict, he will have more to say.”

As the nation waits for the result of the trial, there are increasing concerns about unrest and potentially violent protests, depending on the verdict.

On Tuesday, Biden said Floyd’s family was personally calling for “peace and tranquility.”

“The president has consistently called for peace,” Psaki added Tuesday. “That will be consistent regardless of what the verdict is.”