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By Jesus Mesa
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Billionaire Elon Musk has shared his thoughts on a growing campaign urging President Donald Trump to pardon Derek Chauvin, the former Minneapolis police officer convicted in the 2020 murder of George Floyd.
Musk responded to a post from Ben Shapiro, the conservative commentator, about the initiative with a simple remark: "Something to think about."
Why It Matters
Shapiro, founder of the right-leaning outlet The Daily Wire, has launched a petition urging Trump to grant a presidential pardon to Chauvin, saying the former officer was "unjustly convicted."
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Chauvin is currently serving a 22-and-a-half-year state sentence for second-degree unintentional murder, as well as a concurrent 21-year federal sentence for violating George Floyd's civil rights.
In January, President Trump pardoned two Washington, D.C. police officers convicted in the 2020 killing of Karon Hylton-Brown, a 20-year-old Black man. The act of clemency raised questions about whether Trump would extend pardons to other officials involved in high-profile cases of violence against Black Americans.
What To Know
In an open letter to Trump, Shapiro said that Chauvin's conviction was the result of an unfair trial environment shaped by external pressures. He stated that there was "massive overt pressure" on the Minnesota jury to deliver a guilty verdict, regardless of the evidence or impartial deliberation. Shapiro shared this view in a video posted on X (formerly Twitter).
Musk's response to Shapiro's post was not long but carried significant weight. As he often does to amplify his views, Musk elevated Shapiro's message with his own terse comment, ensuring the petition reached his 219 million followers on X.
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Shapiro also reiterated the argument that Floyd's death was not caused by Chauvin's actions but rather by underlying health conditions and drug use, a defense claim that has since gained traction in conservative circles.
"George Floyd was high on fentanyl; he had a significant pre-existing heart condition," Shapiro said. He also referenced the official autopsy, which he argued did not show damage to Floyd's trachea.
Shapiro concluded by calling Chauvin's conviction "the defining achievement of the Woke movement in American politics" and said that the country "cannot turn the page" on what he believes to be a politically motivated conviction without overturning it.
Legal and Political Implications
A presidential pardon from Trump would only apply to Chauvin's federal conviction. His state conviction for second-degree murder would still stand, as presidential clemency does not extend to state-level crimes. Minnesota law does allow for early release in some cases, meaning Chauvin could serve about 15 years of his state sentence before becoming eligible for parole.
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Federal prosecutors have said that Chauvin's actions directly caused Floyd's death. During the trial, Hennepin County Chief Medical Examiner Dr. Andrew Baker testified that Floyd died of "cardiopulmonary arrest" due to "law enforcement subdual, restraint, and neck compression." While the medical report noted that Floyd had fentanyl in his system, prosecutors successfully argued that Chauvin's use of force was the primary cause of death.
What People Are Saying
Ben Shapiro in an open letter to President Trump: "Make no mistake—the Derek Chauvin conviction represents the defining achievement of the Woke movement in American politics. The country cannot turn the page on that dark, divisive, and racist era without righting this terrible wrong".
Richard Painter, a law professor and former chief White House ethics lawyer, wrote on X: "Derek Chauvin's Minnesota conviction cannot be pardoned by the president—only the federal conviction can be. Although not a factor in his conviction, Chauvin's crime clearly involved racism. A pardon will rightly be seen as racially motivated."
What Happens Next
Trump has not commented on the petition or Chauvin's case more broadly, but he has previously issued controversial pardons, including to political allies and individuals involved in the January 6 Capitol riot.
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