Biden praying for 'right verdict' in Chauvin trial
President Joe Biden weighed in on his hopes for a verdict in the Chauvin trial, after speaking with George Floyd's family at the start of jury deliberations.
"I’m praying the verdict is the right verdict, which is -- I think it’s overwhelming, in my view," Biden told reporters in the Oval Office on Tuesday. "I wouldn’t say that unless the -- the jury was sequestered now and not hearing me say that."
Biden did not explicitly say whether the "right verdict" is guilty or not guilty. As president, Biden has been careful not to comment on a potential outcome in Chauvin's trial for murder in Floyd's death.
Biden has cultivated a relationship with the Floyd family since George Floyd's death spurred a reckoning on racial injustice in America, calling the family Monday to check in and convey he was praying for them, according to White House press secretary Jen Psaki.
"I can only imagine the pressure and anxiety they’re feeling. And so, I waited till the jury was sequestered, and -- and I called," Biden said Tuesday. "They’re a good family. And they’re calling for peace and tranquility no matter what that verdict is," Biden said.
Psaki has suggested that Biden will react once a verdict in the Chauvin trial is announced.
"When the jury makes their deliberations and concludes and a verdict is found, I'm certain the president will speak to that," she said Monday.
Biden has been closely watching the trial and provided updates, according to Psaki.
-ABC News' Sarah Kolinovsky and Molly Nagle