President Biden Will Host Floyd Family at White House on Anniversary of George Floyd Killing

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A White House official has confirmed to Mediaite that President Joe Biden will meet with the family of George Floyd on Tuesday, May 25 — exactly one year after the 46 year-old was murdered by police.

President Biden spoke to the family shortly before a verdict was reached in the trial of Derek Chauvin, the police officer who killed Mr. Floyd. At the time, the president appeared to indicate a preference for a guilty verdict, saying “I’m praying the verdict is the right verdict, which is, I think it’s overwhelming, in my view.”

Both Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris spoke to the family again after Chauvin was found guilty on all counts, at which time the president said “I’m anxious to see you guys, I really am. We’re going to get a lot more done.”

And on Saturday, a White House official confirmed multiple reports that the president will make good on part of that promise this week when the Floyd family comes to visit at the White House.

The other half of that promise will have to wait at least awhile longer. President Biden has been pushing for Congress to pass the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act before the anniversary, a deadline that will now pass without that bill becoming a law.

On Friday, White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki told reporters that despite that missed milestone, negotiators of the bill “still feel there is progress being made.”

“Yes, it’s unlikely, as they’ve conveyed as well, we’re going to meet the timeline that the President outlined in his speech, which he did because he felt it was important to lift it up, to be bold and ambitious in how we’re talking about such an important piece of legislation,” Psaki said, and went on to add that “we have confidence in the negotiators, and we’ve seen them convey publicly that they feel the vibes are good and they’re continuing to make progress.”