The Minnesota Republican Party is facing intense criticism after delegates at its state convention held a moment of silence for Derek Chauvin, the former Minneapolis police officer convicted in the 2020 murder of George Floyd.
The tribute took place this past weekend, during the Minnesota GOP convention in Duluth, just days after the sixth anniversary of Floyd's death on May 25. According to The New York Times, a delegate requested the recognition, and attendees stood for roughly 10 seconds before official convention business began.
The gesture immediately sparked outrage from Democrats, civil rights advocates and Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison, who led the prosecution that secured Chauvin's conviction.
"I am heartbroken and frankly shocked by the Minnesota Republican Party's decision to hold a moment of silence for Derek Chauvin," Ellison said in a statement released Sunday. He described the tribute as an act that dishonors George Floyd's memory and reopens wounds for his family.
Chauvin was convicted in 2021 of second-degree murder and sentenced to 22.5 years in prison after a jury found him responsible for Floyd's death during an arrest in Minneapolis. Video footage showed Chauvin kneeling on Floyd's neck for more than nine minutes while Floyd repeatedly said he could not breathe. The killing sparked protests across the United States and around the world, becoming one of the defining moments of the Black Lives Matter movement.
The former officer is currently serving concurrent state and federal sentences and remains incarcerated in a federal prison facility in Texas. His appeals have repeatedly failed in state and federal courts.
Ellison accused convention organizers of honoring a man who "disgraced his oath to uphold the law and his badge" and argued the decision was disrespectful not only to Floyd's family but also to law enforcement officers who serve honorably. Minnesota Democratic lawmakers quickly joined the criticism.
State Representative Jamie Long called the tribute "disgusting," noting that Republicans chose to recognize a convicted murderer rather than victims of gun violence, fallen military service members or other Minnesotans.
The controversy comes as Chauvin has increasingly become a symbol for some conservative activists who argue he was treated unfairly by the justice system. Commentator Ben Shapiro has publicly advocated for a presidential pardon, and similar calls have circulated among some members of the MAGA movement. However, legal experts have noted that even a federal pardon would not erase Chauvin's state murder conviction.
The Minnesota Republican Party had not publicly responded to the criticism as of the moment of this publication.
The timing of the moment of silence has drawn particular attention because it occurred less than a week after communities across Minnesota marked six years since Floyd's death. Memorial events and commemorations were held throughout the state during the anniversary period.
For many observers, the episode underscores how the legacy of George Floyd's death continues to divide American politics six years later. What began as a brief moment at a state political convention has quickly become a national controversy, reigniting debates about policing, race, accountability and the lasting impact of one of the most consequential criminal cases of the past decade.
