In the midst of the commotion caused by the end of the trial against Derek Chauvin, who was found guilty on Tuesday of the murder of George Floyd, the president, Joe Biden, and the vice president, Kamala Harris, addressed a message to the nation in the afternoon from the White House.
Chauvin's condemnation, the president said, "could be a great step forward" for the nation in the fight against systemic racism.
However, he noted, "it is not enough."
"'I can't breathe.' Those were George Floyd's last words. We can't let those words die with him. We have to keep hearing those words," Biden said.
"We cannot stop here."
Biden and Harris called on Congress to act swiftly to address police reform, including
passing a bill in the name of Floyd
, who died after Chauvin placed him face down on the ground, kneeling on his neck in May last year.
The president also said that the entire country must face hatred to "change hearts and ideas, as well as laws and policies."
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Harris, the first black vice president of the United States, emphasized that the country's work does not end with conviction.
"A measure of justice is not the same as justice," he said.
"Black men are parents, brothers, children, uncles, grandparents, friends, and neighbors. Their lives must be valued in our educational system, in our health care system, in our housing system, in our economic system, in our system. criminal justice. In our nation. "
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"Here's the truth about racial injustice," the vice president continued.
"It is not just a problem for black people in America or a problem for people of color. It is a problem for all Americans.
It prevents us from fulfilling the promise of freedom and justice for all."
Biden addressed the nation after speaking with Floyd's family on the phone once the verdict was out, telling them: "We are all so relieved."
"Nothing is going to improve everything, but at least now there is some justice," he told them.
"You guys are an amazing family. I wish I was there to hug you."
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He later added that he was seeking to comfort Floyd's little daughter, Gianna, by assuring her that her "daddy changed the world."
Biden and Harris listened to the verdict read with White House staff from the president's dining room.
Derek Chauvin was found guilty on all counts:
second degree murder,
punishable by up to 40 years in jail;
murder in the third degree
, with a maximum sentence of 25 years, and
murder in the second degree
, which carries up to 10 years of deprivation of liberty.
His bail was revoked and he was seen being escorted out of the building with his hands handcuffed behind his back, heading to the prison.
The hearing for his sentence will be in eight weeks, when it will be known how many years he must fulfill.
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Biden sparked a convulsive reaction earlier on Tuesday when he said: "I am praying that the verdict is the correct verdict," he added.
"I think it's overwhelming in my opinion."
White House press secretary Jen Psaki did not clarify what the president was referring to specifically.
Several people close to the president told our sister network NBC News that his comments
did not help the White House's efforts to control tensions across the country.
Biden said in his speech after the verdict that most of the men and women who wear the (police) badge "serve their communities honorably" and that those who fail to meet that standard must be held accountable.
With information from NBC News