Trump Dismisses Calls to Pardon Derek Chauvin, Officer Convicted in George Floyd’s Murder

Despite Ben Shapiro and Elon Musk backing a pardon for Derek Chauvin, Donald Trump is not considering it.

Trump confirmed Friday that he has no plans to pardon Chauvin, the former Minneapolis officer convicted in George Floyd’s death. ”

No, I haven’t even heard about it,” Trump said when asked about the push from his allies. “I haven’t heard of that.”

Shapiro, founder of the Daily Wire, recently launched an online petition urging Trump to pardon Chauvin, who was sentenced to 22 and a half years on state charges and 21 years on federal charges for violating Floyd’s civil rights. Musk quickly supported the idea, posting on Twitter, “Something to think about.”

Shapiro argued Chauvin did not receive a fair trial due to widespread attention, including former President Joe Biden’s public remarks. He pointed to Floyd’s preexisting heart condition, claiming, “The evidence demonstrates certainly (Chauvin) was not guilty beyond reasonable doubt,” despite state and federal convictions.

Shapiro, who attended Trump’s joint address to Congress as Speaker Mike Johnson’s guest, said, “The railroading of Derek Chauvin” fueled 2020 protests that led to property damage and harmed race relations.

Floyd, an unarmed Black man, died on May 25th, 2020, after Chauvin knelt on his neck for over nine minutes, sparking international Black Lives Matter protests.

Chauvin is serving his sentences concurrently, meaning a federal pardon would not affect his state conviction.