Biden with family

Former VP spends hour with Floyd's relatives.

Joe Biden, the presumptive Democratic nominee to challenge President Donald Trump in November, met privately Monday for more than an hour with the family of George Floyd, whose death in police custody led to nationwide protests.

Biden met with Floyd’s uncle, Roger Floyd; the family’s lawyer, Benjamin Crump; Rep. Cedric Richmond, D- La., and others, according to Al Sharpton, a civil rights activist who led a memorial last week in Minneapolis.

“Listening to one another is what will begin to heal America,” Crump said in a tweet. “He listened, heard their pain, and shared in their woe. That compassion meant the world to this grieving family.”

Another lawyer, Chris Stewart, posted on Instagram that Biden met with Floyd’s daughter, Gianna.

“He expressed his sympathies and promised to push for changes in policing,” Stewart said. “The world is watching and we want action on all promises nothing less.”

Biden and his wife, Jill, traveled to Houston to meet with the family before Floyd’s burial Tuesday, according to Biden’s campaign. Biden is no longer expected to attend the private funeral service and burial in the Houston suburb of Pearland, but he will provide a video message for the funeral, according to The Associated Press.

Floyd’s body arrived Monday at the Fountain of Praise church in a goldcolored casket escorted by Houston police. Guidelines for social distancing amid the coronavirus pandemic limited attendance Tuesday to 500.

Former Vice President Biden clinched the 1,991 delegates needed for the Democratic nomination Saturday. He has repeatedly highlighted the need to build a country with more just and equal foundations. He called Trump’s comments Friday about Floyd “despicable” after the president touted improving jobs numbers and said, “Hopefully, George is looking down right now and saying, ‘ This is a great thing that’s happening for our country.’ ”