Musk shares thoughts on pardoning former officer convicted in George Floyd’s death
Elon Musk has expressed his backing for clemency regarding Derek Chauvin, who received a prison sentence of over 20 years for the murder of a Black man. Read Full Article at RT.com.
TroibNews 
Elon Musk has amplified a campaign urging US President Donald Trump to pardon Derek Chauvin, a white police officer convicted of murdering George Floyd, a Black man, in 2020, which ignited widespread protests across the country.
Chauvin, a former Minneapolis police officer, is currently serving a 21-year federal sentence for civil rights violations alongside a state sentence exceeding 22 years for second-degree murder. The infamous video depicting Chauvin kneeling on Floyd's neck provoked intense media scrutiny and inspired riots throughout the United States and internationally.
On Tuesday, Musk, who serves as a senior adviser to Trump, shared a video on X from conservative commentator Ben Shapiro, who is advocating for Chauvin’s pardon. Musk added the comment: “Something to think about.”
Shapiro recently launched a petition calling for Chauvin’s clemency, asserting that Chauvin was “unjustly convicted.” In a letter posted on his website, The Daily Wire, he contended that Chauvin’s trial was affected by “massive overt pressure” on the Minnesota jury, driven by the Black Lives Matter movement, to reach a guilty verdict without regard for the evidence or fair deliberation. He claimed there was “no opportunity for blind justice to work,” leaving Chauvin “rotting in prison because of it.”
Shapiro argued that Floyd was “high on fentanyl” and had significant pre-existing heart issues, emphasizing that Floyd repeatedly expressed he couldn’t breathe before being removed from the car. He contended that Chauvin's knee was on Floyd’s shoulder or back rather than his neck, referencing an autopsy that found no damage to the trachea. Shapiro also highlighted that Chauvin was not charged with racially targeting Floyd.
Last December, a judge permitted Chauvin's legal team to examine Floyd's heart tissue and fluids to support their claim challenging the conviction, suggesting that a heart condition—not Chauvin's actions—led to Floyd’s death.
“Make no mistake — the Derek Chauvin conviction represents the defining achievement of the Woke movement in American politics,” Shapiro stated. “The country cannot turn the page on that dark, divisive, and racist era without righting this terrible wrong.”
Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison informed the Minnesota Star Tribune that a pardon from Trump would not free Chauvin, as he is still serving a state sentence, with an expected release date of December 10, 2035.
In November 2023, Chauvin endured a violent attack at a federal prison in Arizona, sustaining 22 stab wounds from another inmate. Reports indicate that the attacker chose Black Friday for its symbolic ties to the Black Lives Matter movement. Chauvin was hospitalized briefly before being transferred to another facility.
Thomas Evans for TROIB News
Chauvin, a former Minneapolis police officer, is currently serving a 21-year federal sentence for civil rights violations alongside a state sentence exceeding 22 years for second-degree murder. The infamous video depicting Chauvin kneeling on Floyd's neck provoked intense media scrutiny and inspired riots throughout the United States and internationally.
On Tuesday, Musk, who serves as a senior adviser to Trump, shared a video on X from conservative commentator Ben Shapiro, who is advocating for Chauvin’s pardon. Musk added the comment: “Something to think about.”
Shapiro recently launched a petition calling for Chauvin’s clemency, asserting that Chauvin was “unjustly convicted.” In a letter posted on his website, The Daily Wire, he contended that Chauvin’s trial was affected by “massive overt pressure” on the Minnesota jury, driven by the Black Lives Matter movement, to reach a guilty verdict without regard for the evidence or fair deliberation. He claimed there was “no opportunity for blind justice to work,” leaving Chauvin “rotting in prison because of it.”
Shapiro argued that Floyd was “high on fentanyl” and had significant pre-existing heart issues, emphasizing that Floyd repeatedly expressed he couldn’t breathe before being removed from the car. He contended that Chauvin's knee was on Floyd’s shoulder or back rather than his neck, referencing an autopsy that found no damage to the trachea. Shapiro also highlighted that Chauvin was not charged with racially targeting Floyd.
Last December, a judge permitted Chauvin's legal team to examine Floyd's heart tissue and fluids to support their claim challenging the conviction, suggesting that a heart condition—not Chauvin's actions—led to Floyd’s death.
“Make no mistake — the Derek Chauvin conviction represents the defining achievement of the Woke movement in American politics,” Shapiro stated. “The country cannot turn the page on that dark, divisive, and racist era without righting this terrible wrong.”
Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison informed the Minnesota Star Tribune that a pardon from Trump would not free Chauvin, as he is still serving a state sentence, with an expected release date of December 10, 2035.
In November 2023, Chauvin endured a violent attack at a federal prison in Arizona, sustaining 22 stab wounds from another inmate. Reports indicate that the attacker chose Black Friday for its symbolic ties to the Black Lives Matter movement. Chauvin was hospitalized briefly before being transferred to another facility.
Thomas Evans for TROIB News
