President Joe Biden and First Lady Jill Biden met with families impacted by the condominium collapse in Surfside, Florida, today playing the role of consolers-in-chief. According to the ABC affiliate in Miami Biden spent almost three hours with families.

Those meetings were closed to the press, but senior advisor Anita Dunn said Biden first made brief remarks from the center of the room before going table to table to have smaller conversations with groups of relatives.

“The people you may have lost — they’re gonna be with you your whole life,” Biden told families that lost a loved one. “A part of your soul, a part of who you are.”

Biden later made an unannounced visit to a memorial wall set up with victims’ pictures. He appeared to wipe away tears as he and the first lady looked at the photographs. Watch above from the CBS affiliate in Miami.

Earlier in the day, Biden met with Florida officials and first responders to thank them for their hard work in Surfside over the last week. Of the meeting, Biden remarked, “Those working around the clock to respond to this tragedy have our deepest gratitude.”

With both Florida Governor Ron DeSantis and Miami-Dade Mayor Daniella Levine Cava by his side, the president said, “I have the power and will announce shortly that we’ll be able to pick up 100% of the cost from the county and the state over the first 30 days.” Both the mayor and governor praised Biden’s help.

 

This comes as families received some disheartening news. The Miami Herald reports, “Exactly one week after the Champlain Towers South building collapsed, rescue crews early Thursday stopped work amid concerns that the remaining structure could topple.” The report goes on to say:

“After 2 a.m., multiple police officers and rescue personnel said they were hearing warnings the vacant building was shifting and the new instability could lead to another collapse. That led to clearing people from the area around the rescue operation, they said.”

The rescue work resumed late in the day.

There are now 18 people confirmed dead and 145 missing.