- Conservative talk show host Ben Shapiro is advocating for a federal pardon for Derek Chauvin. Shapiro argues George Floyd died from a pre-existing condition and plans to release programming detailing his views on the case.
- Chauvin, a former officer with the Minneapolis Police Department, is serving a 22-year sentence for Floyd’s murder. His death led to worldwide protests.
- Trump has stated he is not considering a pardon, despite Shapiro’s campaign and Elon Musk’s support on social media.
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Conservative talk show host Ben Shapiro has called on President Donald Trump to pardon Derek Chauvin for federal crimes related to George Floyd’s death. Chauvin, a white former officer with the Minneapolis Police Department, is currently serving a 22-year sentence for the murder of Floyd, a Black man.
Floyd died after a store clerk called the police, accusing him of using a counterfeit $20 bill. Video of the arrest shows Chauvin kneeling on Floyd’s neck for nine minutes while Floyd repeatedly says he can’t breathe. Floyd later died at a hospital.
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Floyd’s death sparked worldwide protests. Within days, calls to defund or abolish the police became widespread. The protests caused more than $1 billion in losses to the insurance industry. It marked the first civil disorder to reach that amount.
On his podcast, Shapiro argued Floyd died from a pre-existing heart condition and encouraged viewers to sign a petition urging Trump to consider a federal pardon.
Elon Musk responded to Shapiro’s plea on X, posting, “Something to think about.”
However, Trump told reporters he’s not considering a pardon, saying, “I don’t know anything about it.”
Despite Trump’s comment, Shapiro plans to release programming on March 18 that he says will expose the truth about the Chauvin case.
In December, a judge granted Chauvin’s lawyers permission to have samples from Floyd examined to test a theory that Floyd died of a heart condition aggravated by a rare tumor, not asphyxiation.
Chauvin was convicted on state murder charges in 2021 and later pleaded guilty in federal court to violating Floyd’s civil rights. He is serving his state and federal sentences concurrently. A federal pardon would not overturn his state conviction.
