Minnesota officials are reportedly on high alert as chatter around a possible presidential pardon for Derek Chauvin gains traction. Chauvin, the former Minneapolis officer convicted of murdering George Floyd in 2020, is serving both federal and state sentences totaling over two decades.
Governor Tim Walz, Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey, and Hennepin County Sheriff Dawanna Witt have all been briefed on security plans in the event Donald Trump moves forward with a pardon. The Minnesota National Guard is also on standby should public protests arise.
I strongly support Derek Chauvin being pardoned and released from prison.
George Floyd died of a drug overdose. pic.twitter.com/z7a6DqQ2vh
— Marjorie Taylor Greene 🇺🇸 (@mtgreenee) May 14, 2025
Though Trump claimed back in March he hadn’t heard about pardoning Chauvin, the conversation has resurfaced thanks to vocal support from figures like Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene.
She’s falsely argued that Floyd died from a drug overdose, a claim contradicted by official autopsy results.
Chauvin’s convictions include second-degree unintentional murder, third-degree murder, and second-degree manslaughter. While a presidential pardon could wipe out his federal charges, his 22.5-year state sentence would keep him behind bars well into his sixties.
Currently, Chauvin is serving time at a federal prison in Texas after being transferred for his safety following a violent stabbing at another facility. Should Trump issue a pardon, Minnesota is prepared to transfer him back to a high-security state prison.
