George Floyd Funeral: Biden's Speech Unifies, While Trump's Tweet Sparks Outrage

No stranger to unbearable personal loss, Democratic Party presidential candidate Joe Biden Tuesday made a powerful call for national unity and racial justice following the death of African-American George Floyd at the hands of a Minneapolis cop on May 25.

Biden sounded the call for love and tolerance on the day Floyd was laid to rest in his hometown of Houston, Texas amid tears and cries for racial justice from thousands of mourners nationwide. Floyd was buried beside his mother, who he called out to in despair seconds before he died while in the custody of former police officer, Derek Chauvin.

“Momma!” Floyd called out. “Momma! I’m through.”

Biden spoke to the 6,000 mourners gathered for Floyd's funeral at the Fountain of Praise church by video from his home in Delaware.

"We can't turn away. We must not turn away. We cannot leave this moment thinking we can once again turn away from racism that stings at our very soul, from systemic abuse that still plagues American life," he said.

Biden also addressed Floyd's six-year-old daughter, Gianna. He told her that when there is justice for George Floyd, "we will truly be on our way to racial justice in America. Then, Gianna, your daddy will have changed the world."

"I know you have a lot of questions, honey. No child should have to ask questions that too many black children have had to ask for generations: 'Why? Why is daddy gone?'" he said to loud applause from the mourners.

Biden met privately with the Floyd family Monday. During this meeting, Biden reminisced his own experience with the loss of family members and having to pubicly grieve in front of the nation. Biden's first wife, Neilia, and his daughter, Naomi Christina, were killed in December 1972 in a car crash that also injured his two sons.

"As I have said to you privately, we know. We know you will never feel the same again," said Biden. "Unlike most, you must grieve in public. It is a burden. A burden that is now your purpose to change the world for the better in the name of George Floyd."

While Biden called for unity amidst festering but peaceful protests, President Donald Trump stoked anger anew by claiming Martin Gugino, the 75-year-old man pushed to the ground and left to bleed by cops from the Buffalo Police Department, is "an ANTIFA provocateur." Trump said the cops pushed Gugino back after he appeared "to scan police communications in order to black out the equipment."

Trump tweeted: "Buffalo protester shoved by Police could be an ANTIFA provocateur. 75 year old Martin Gugino was pushed away after appearing to scan police communications in order to black out the equipment.

"I watched, he fell harder than was pushed. Was aiming scanner. Could be a set up?"

An angry New York governor Andrew Cuomo strongly denounced Trump for this reprehensible comment. New York State Lieutenant Governor Kathy Hochul blasted Trump's statement as "sick.”

“The President continues to use his platform to peddle conspiracy theories, this time about a peaceful protestor and fellow New Yorker," said Hochul. "Not sure how this is supposed to bring our country together.”

Biden called out Trump for an abuse of power by making this claim currently circulating among right-wing conspiracy theorists.

“My Dad used to say there’s no greater sin than the abuse of power,” tweeted Biden Tuesday. “Whether it’s an officer bloodying a peaceful protester or a President defending him with a conspiracy theory he saw on TV.”