Shapiro calls Chauvin’s conviction unjust, citing political pressure, while critics argue it upheld justice
Conservative commentator Ben Shapiro and The Daily Wire have launched a petition urging former President Donald Trump to pardon Derek Chauvin, the former Minneapolis police officer convicted in the death of George Floyd. The campaign, hosted at PardonDerek.com, argues that Chauvin was unjustly convicted under political pressure.
The Petition
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In the petition, Shapiro, a Harvard Law School graduate writes: “We write to urge you to immediately issue a pardon for Officer Derek Chauvin, who was unjustly convicted and is currently serving a 22-and-a-half year sentence for the murder of George Floyd and associated federal charges.” He further claims that Floyd’s death was misrepresented, stating, “George Floyd was high on fentanyl. He had a significant pre-existing heart condition. He was saying he could not breathe before he was even out of the car.”
Overt Pressure From Biden & Waters
The petition argues that the jury faced “massive overt pressure to return a guilty verdict regardless of the evidence or any semblance of impartial deliberation.” Shapiro also criticizes public officials, including then-President Biden and Rep. Maxine Waters, for what he describes as undue influence over the case.
Elon Musk weighed in on X, simply stating, “Something to think about.”
Shapiro and his supporters argue that “the Derek Chauvin conviction represents the defining achievement of the Woke movement in American politics” and must be overturned to “end the weaponization of the American justice system.”
Trump has yet to comment on the initiative, but the issue is likely to become a topic of discussion and may even be mentioned.
