Derek Chauvin jury reaches a verdict

President Biden meets with the Congressional Hispanic Caucus on Tuesday. Evan Vucci/AP

President Biden was not looking to influence the Derek Chauvin trial with his comments on the expected verdict Tuesday, White House press secretary Jen Psaki said, noting he felt it was appropriate to weigh in on the trial at this moment since the jury is sequestered.

Biden told reporters earlier in the Oval Office in response to a question from CNN’s Kaitlan Collins that he is “praying that the verdict is the right verdict, which is I think it’s overwhelming in my view. I wouldn’t say that unless the jury was sequestered now, not hear me say that.”

Psaki would not specify what Biden viewed as “overwhelming” in the Chauvin trial.

“As he also noted, the jury is sequestered which is why he spoke to this, but I would expect he will weigh in more – further once there is a verdict and I’m not going to provide additional analysis on what he meant,” Psaki said at Tuesday’s White House press briefing.

Asked if there is concern that the President’s words could add to potential unrest in Minneapolis and around the country if the “right verdict” is not reached, Psaki said that regardless of the outcome, Biden has consistently called for peace.

“Our focus, as we’re working with state and local authorities, is on providing the space for peaceful protest and that will be consistent regardless of what the outcome of this, of the verdict is,” she said.

Psaki said Biden is “not looking to influence” the case, which is why he only spoke out when the jury is sequestered, but the President “has been touched on the impact on the family, hence he called the family yesterday and had that discussion.” She reiterated that much of the conversation focused on the loss the Floyd family is dealing with, something the President knows first-hand.

Psaki also said she doesn’t think Biden felt as if he was “weighing in on the verdict,” in his comments, but rather conveying compassion towards the family.