If anyone were to assess the worst year in America in the last twenty years or so, 2020 would have to be at the top of the list. It was an election year, and Donald Trump was finishing up his first term in office. The economy was humming, the southern border was secure, America was respected abroad. It was possible that Trump would walk easily into reelection. Then COVID-19 happened. America was in uncharted waters. But those waters were about to get a lot more choppy on May 25, 2020, with the death of George Floyd.
BREAKING: Petition to pardon Derek Chauvin has received over 50,000 signatures, per Axios. pic.twitter.com/S0Kbife597
— Leading Report (@LeadingReport) March 18, 2025
But now, there is a move led by conservative podcaster and commentator Ben Shapiro to push President Trump to pardon former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin, who was convicted on both state and federal charges in Floyd's death. A video showing Chauvin subduing Floyd on the ground, which some thought showed the officer putting his knee on Floyd's throat, sparked outrage, protests, and riots all over the country. Chauvin ultimately pleaded guilty to the federal charges. Trump could only pardon Chauvin on the federal charges; he would still remain in prison on the state charges. Shapiro has started an online petition to push Trump to pardon Chauvin that so far has gotten 50,000 signatures. Trump has said that he has no knowledge of the petition or the move for the pardon.
A few things off the top. Derek Chauvin was not up for cop of the year by any stretch. Before the incident with George Floyd, Chauvin had racked up 17 complaints filed against him. At the risk of speaking ill of the deceased, George Floyd was also not a Boy Scout. At the time of his death, he was a smoker with blocked arteries, one of them at 90 percent. He had an enlarged heart and had a large amount of fentanyl, small amounts of methamphetamine, and traces of THC, the active ingredient of marijuana, in his system. In a public letter to Trump on the petition's webpage, Shapiro wrote,
“...there was no opportunity for blind justice to work, and a man is now rotting in prison because of it. Make no mistake—the Derek Chauvin conviction represents the defining achievement of the Woke movement in American politics."
Some people will be mad at this but pardoning Derek Chauvin is just asking for more riots and burnings pic.twitter.com/YqLsLlyStk
— Blitz (@BlitzReply) March 13, 2025
However, the biggest question would be, what benefit would there be if Donald Trump granted him a pardon? As if they needed an excuse, it would undoubtedly give the left another chance at racially motivated destruction. It could also possibly compromise all of the inroads and support that Donald Trump earned during the 2024 election among black Americans. It would almost certainly have the potential to cause a major rift among Trump supporters and other Republicans, something that is definitely not needed at a time when Republicans have the most momentum they have had in quite a while.
A Minnesota jury convicted Derek Chauvin of second-degree murder beyond a reasonable doubt. That process must be respected. But having researched the case, Shapiro claims there is evidence that was not taken into consideration at the time of the trial. So, another looming question might be, if such evidence exists, why not revisit the case and examine that evidence? Either way, Derek Chauvin is still sitting in jail and not going anywhere. In 2020, if there were questions about the case, who would have been brave enough to speak up? Five years later, are we still not allowed to question this case?
ALSO READ: Minneapolis Four Years After Floyd: Leftist Policing And 'Justice' Theories Are a Bust
The George Floyd case ushered in some of the most destructive practices this country has ever seen. It was where the "defund the police" movement began. It went one step further in Minneapolis, where there was an "abolish the police" movement. In the wake of Floyd's death, we were told over and over that America was an inherently racist country and that Americans themselves were racist, they just didn't know it. We were introduced to critical race theory (CRT), diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI), and schoolchildren were taught The 1619 Project and taught to hate each other.
Ben Shapiro no doubt has an uphill battle to climb. It is not likely President Trump would consider such a pardon, and there is the question of why this has come up now. Shapiro says he has been in contact with Chauvin's attorneys to see what "they're interested in pursuing." But if Shapiro has what he says he has, things might get interesting.
Should Derek Chauvin be pardoned? Ben Shapiro joined me to share his thoughts ⬇️
— Charlie Kirk (@charliekirk11) March 10, 2025
Subscribe to listen to our full, 1-hr discussion.https://t.co/YaGD2n9t8k pic.twitter.com/AMFoQKnHMI
