{"id":4231,"date":"2026-06-01T17:06:01","date_gmt":"2026-06-01T17:06:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/usglobalnews.com\/2026\/06\/01\/minnesota-republicans-rebuked-for-derek-chauvin-moment-of-silence\/"},"modified":"2026-06-01T17:06:01","modified_gmt":"2026-06-01T17:06:01","slug":"minnesota-republicans-rebuked-for-derek-chauvin-moment-of-silence","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.usglobalnews.com\/?p=4231","title":{"rendered":"Minnesota Republicans rebuked for Derek Chauvin moment of silence"},"content":{"rendered":"<div style=\"border-color:var(--article-border);background-color:var(--article-inner-background)\" class=\"dcr-wqti5a\">\n<div class=\"dcr-2zxs1v\">\n<div style=\"--grid-area:media\" data-gu-name=\"media\" class=\"dcr-1fnjjtg\">\n<div class=\"dcr-14emo0l\">\n<div class=\"dcr-tr9ye5\">\n<figure id=\"ca22fc6b-d50f-44b4-9a93-a9ee94b9b4ab\" class=\"dcr-142siv7\">\n<div id=\"img-1\" class=\"dcr-1t8m8f2\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"a man speaks into a microphone\" src=\"https:\/\/i.guim.co.uk\/img\/media\/ce6a76e581513520e05500d2ca02eb800caf9db5\/114_0_2116_1693\/master\/2116.jpg?width=465&amp;dpr=1&amp;s=none&amp;crop=none\" width=\"465\" height=\"372.04395085066164\" loading=\"eager\" class=\"dcr-evn1e9\"><span class=\"dcr-v822l1\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"dcr-gup2gr\">\n<div class=\"dcr-fntg6k\"><label for=\"the-checkbox\" class=\"dcr-1xgwz8b\"><\/label> <\/p>\n<div id=\"the-caption\"><figcaption data-spacefinder-role=\"inline\" class=\"dcr-1os51wo\"><span class=\"dcr-hvsf4t\"><\/span><span class=\"dcr-1qvd3m6\">Former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin addresses the court at the Hennepin county courthouse, on 25 June 2021, in Minneapolis.<\/span> Photograph: AP<\/figcaption><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><\/span><a href=\"#img-1\" data-ignore=\"global-link-styling\" class=\"open-lightbox dcr-13fd1ms\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><button data-element-id=\"ca22fc6b-d50f-44b4-9a93-a9ee94b9b4ab\" type=\"button\" class=\"open-lightbox dcr-4tmywn\" aria-haspopup=\"dialog\"><span class=\"dcr-194i6pr\">View image in fullscreen<\/span><\/button><\/a><\/div>\n<p><span class=\"dcr-n4pnam\"><figcaption data-spacefinder-role=\"inline\" class=\"dcr-1hdkqum\"><span class=\"dcr-hvsf4t\"><\/span><span class=\"dcr-1qvd3m6\">Former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin addresses the court at the Hennepin county courthouse, on 25 June 2021, in Minneapolis.<\/span> Photograph: AP<\/figcaption><\/span><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div style=\"--grid-area:border\" data-gu-name=\"border\" class=\"dcr-1fnjjtg\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"--grid-area:headline\" data-gu-name=\"headline\" class=\"dcr-1fnjjtg\">\n<div class=\"dcr-14emo0l\">\n<div class=\"dcr-1aqe7zu\">\n<h1 class=\"dcr-1k1a1x\">Minnesota Republicans rebuked for Derek Chauvin moment of silence<\/h1>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div style=\"--grid-area:standfirst\" data-gu-name=\"standfirst\" class=\"dcr-1fnjjtg\">\n<div class=\"dcr-15in7js\">\n<p>Attorney general Keith Ellison says gesture at convention was an \u2018act of profound cruelty\u2019 to George Floyd\u2019s family<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div style=\"--grid-area:body\" data-gu-name=\"body\" class=\"dcr-kn9unn\">\n<div class=\"dcr-1a4fred\">\n<div id=\"maincontent\" class=\"dcr-ydnaza\">\n<div class=\"article-body-commercial-selector article-body-viewer-selector dcr-1c9t5u6\">\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">The Minnesota Republican party\u2019s decision to hold a moment of silence for Derek Chauvin, the former police officer convicted of murdering <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/us-news\/george-floyd\" data-link-name=\"in body link\">George Floyd<\/a>, has angered the state\u2019s attorney general \u2013 who was the lead prosecutor in the case.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">Keith Ellison, a Democrat, said Saturday\u2019s gesture at the state Republicans\u2019 annual convention in Duluth was \u201can act of profound cruelty\u201d to Floyd\u2019s family and \u201cdisrespectful\u201d to Minnesota\u2019s law enforcement personnel.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">\u201cThis decision dishonors the memory of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/us-news\/george-floyd\" data-link-name=\"in body link\" data-component=\"auto-linked-tag\">George Floyd<\/a> and wounds his loved ones all over again,\u201d Ellison said in a statement.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">Alluding to how the murder had happened six years earlier almost exactly, Ellison added: \u201cTo honor the man convicted of murdering George Floyd \u2013 days after the very anniversary of that terrible day \u2013 is an act of profound cruelty to the Floyd family and to every Minnesotan who believes in accountability under law.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">\u201cTo honor a man who disgraced his oath to uphold the law and his badge is disturbing. And to honor a man who damaged the reputation of the brave men and women who protect our communities night and day is disrespectful.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">According to the local station <a href=\"https:\/\/www.fox9.com\/news\/keith-ellison-blasts-minnesota-gop-for-derek-chauvin-moment-of-silence\" data-link-name=\"in body link\">Fox 9 News<\/a>, the Minnesota Republican party granted the request of a delegate on the second morning of its two-day gathering to recognize Chauvin, who was sentenced to a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/us-news\/2021\/jun\/25\/derek-chauvin-george-floyd-murder-sentencing\" data-link-name=\"in body link\">22-and-a-half-year prison term<\/a> in 2021 for the second-degree murder of Floyd in Minneapolis on 25 May 2020.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">Attenders reportedly stood in silence for about 10 seconds before the start of official business for the day.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">The disgraced officer received a separate, concurrent <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/us-news\/2022\/jul\/07\/derek-chauvin-sentenced-violating-george-floyd-civil-rights\" data-link-name=\"in body link\">21-year sentence<\/a> in 2022 for violating Floyd\u2019s civil rights during their encounter, in which Chauvin knelt on his victim\u2019s neck for more than nine minutes. Chauvin has had a succession of appeals rejected and was <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/us-news\/article\/2024\/aug\/21\/derek-chauvin-moved-texas-george-floyd\" data-link-name=\"in body link\">moved<\/a> to a low-security facility in Texas in August 2024 after surviving a stabbing in prison in Arizona nine months earlier.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">The death of Floyd, who was Black, at the hands of Chauvin \u2013 who is white \u2013 sparked violent protests in Minneapolis, along with a wider reckoning embodied by the Black Lives Matter movement over police brutality and racial injustice.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">More recently, however, Chauvin has become something of a cause celebre for political rightwingers and conservative influencers, including Ben Shapiro, who has <a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/benshapiro\/status\/1896966795543867892\" data-link-name=\"in body link\">asserted<\/a> Floyd was not suffocated but died of a pre-existing medical condition.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">Calls for Trump to pardon Chauvin have been <a href=\"https:\/\/www.mprnews.org\/story\/2025\/03\/05\/there-are-calls-to-pardon-chauvin-heres-why-it-wouldnt-get-him-out-of-prison\" data-link-name=\"in body link\">amplified by Elon Musk<\/a>, the world\u2019s richest man and ally of the US president. Analysts say such a move by Trump would not secure Chauvin\u2019s release from prison but would see him transferred instead to a state facility.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">Ellison, in his statement, acknowledged Floyd\u2019s family and noted that Chauvin had all but exhausted his legal options after the US supreme court <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/us-news\/2023\/nov\/20\/george-floyd-murder-supreme-court-rejects-derek-chauvin-appeal\" data-link-name=\"in body link\">denied an appeal<\/a> against his conviction in 2023. State courts have also repeatedly declined to grant him a new trial.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">\u201cGeorge Floyd\u2019s children lost their father,\u201d Ellison wrote. \u201cHis siblings lost their brother. His community lost a neighbor and friend. That loss is permanent and irreparable. The jury heard all the evidence. The appeals courts reviewed every claim. Justice was rendered according to our system of law.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">\u201cAs the lead prosecutor whose team presented this case to a jury of 12 Minnesotans and then prevailed at every step of the appeals process, I am deeply troubled by what [the moment of silence] says about the state of our politics. I apologize to the Floyd family and to all the dedicated officers who do their jobs honorably every day.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">The Minnesota Republican party did not immediately return a request for comment.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">The Democratic state lawmaker Jamie Long, a former majority leader of the Minnesota legislature, called the act \u201cdisgusting\u201d in <a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/Jamiemlong\/status\/2061100837783339205\" data-link-name=\"in body link\">a post<\/a> on X on Sunday.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">He noted that the state\u2019s Republicans \u201copened their convention with a moment of silence for Derek Chauvin. Not for those we lost to gun violence. Not for soldiers killed overseas.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">\u201cTo a literal convicted murderer. Disgusting.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div data-print-layout=\"hide\" class=\"dcr-qxqnsy\"><span class=\"dcr-1rq3vad\">Explore more on these topics<\/span><\/p>\n<div class=\"dcr-1dzx48f\">\n<ul class=\"dcr-1rrvs2w\">\n<li class=\"dcr-hj8byr\"><a href=\"\/us-news\/george-floyd\" class=\"dcr-1gwziyt\">George Floyd<\/a><\/li>\n<li class=\"dcr-hj8byr\"><a href=\"\/us-news\/minnesota\" class=\"dcr-1gwziyt\">Minnesota<\/a><\/li>\n<li class=\"dcr-hj8byr\"><a href=\"\/us-news\/republicans\" class=\"dcr-1gwziyt\">Republicans<\/a><\/li>\n<li class=\"dcr-hj8byr\"><a href=\"\/us-news\/us-politics\" class=\"dcr-1gwziyt\">US politics<\/a><\/li>\n<li class=\"dcr-hj8byr\"><a href=\"\/tone\/news\" class=\"dcr-1gwziyt\">news<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"dcr-nu129i\"><a href=\"mailto:?subject=Minnesota%20Republicans%20rebuked%20for%20Derek%20Chauvin%20moment%20of%20silence&amp;body=https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/us-news\/2026\/jun\/01\/minnesota-republicans-derek-chauvin-moment-of-silence?CMP=share_btn_url\" class=\"dcr-125qj9d\">Share<\/a><\/p>\n<div class=\"dcr-zhx6xs\"><a data-link-name=\"meta-syndication-article\" href=\"https:\/\/syndication.theguardian.com\/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.theguardian.com%2Fus-news%2F2026%2Fjun%2F01%2Fminnesota-republicans-derek-chauvin-moment-of-silence&amp;type=article&amp;internalpagecode=us-news\/2026\/jun\/01\/minnesota-republicans-derek-chauvin-moment-of-silence\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer\" title=\"Reuse this content\" class=\"dcr-14rjinq\">Reuse this content<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div style=\"--grid-area:right-column\" data-gu-name=\"right-column\" class=\"dcr-1h2hraq\">\n<div class=\"dcr-tn16h9\">\n<section class=\"dcr-1hko8ef\"><\/section>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin addresses the court at the Hennepin county courthouse, on 25 June 2021,<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":0,"featured_media":4233,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-4231","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-world-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.usglobalnews.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4231","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.usglobalnews.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.usglobalnews.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.usglobalnews.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=4231"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.usglobalnews.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4231\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.usglobalnews.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/4233"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.usglobalnews.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=4231"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.usglobalnews.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=4231"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.usglobalnews.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=4231"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}