Former Vice President Joe Biden offered condolences to the family of the late George Floyd in a video message played at Floyd's funeral in Houston on Tuesday, telling them: "Unlike most, you must grieve in public. It's a burden. A burden that is now your purpose to change the world for the better in the name of George Floyd."
Why it matters: Biden has lost two children and his first wife to tragedy over the course of his political career. Many view his ability to empathize with people who have lost loved ones as one of his strongest qualities as a politician.
What he's saying: "To George's family and friends, Jill and I know the deep hole in your hearts when you bury a piece of your soul deep in this Earth," Biden said. "We know you will never feel the same again."
- "Like so many others, I have watched with awe as you summon the absolute courage to channel God's grace and show the good man George was."
- "To George's children and grandchild, I know you miss your dad and your granddad. Gianna, as I said to you when I saw you yesterday, you're so brave. Daddy's looking down. He's so proud of you. I know you miss that bear hug that only he could give. The pure joy riding on his shoulders so you could touch the sky. ... No child should have to ask questions that too many black children have had to ask for generations. Why? Why is Daddy gone?"
- "Now is the time for racial justice. That's the answer we must give to our children when they ask why. Because when there's justice for George Floyd, we will truly be on our way to racial justice in America."