MINNEAPOLIS, MN – MAY 25: Terrence Floyd (C) removes his jacket to show a shirt bearing the face of his brother, George Floyd, during a vigil on May 25, 2022 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. It has been two years since George Floyd was killed by Minneapolis Police. (Photo by Stephen Maturen/Getty Images)

The family criticized Minnesota GOP for honoring Chauvin and said recent backlash over a George Floyd joke at a Kevin Hart roast reflects a broader shift in public attitudes.

George Floyd’s family is speaking out after members of the Minnesota Republican Party held a moment of silence for former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin during the party’s state convention, a move that has sparked widespread criticism and renewed debate over Floyd’s 2020 killing.

According to multiple reports, delegates at the Minnesota GOP convention in Duluth observed a 10-second moment of silence for Chauvin, who is serving concurrent state and federal prison sentences for the murder of George Floyd. The gesture came just days after the sixth anniversary of Floyd’s death and quickly drew backlash from public officials and civil rights advocates.

The criticism intensified after George Floyd’s family publicly condemned the tribute. Speaking to TMZ, Travis Cains, a spokesperson for The Gianna and George Floyd Foundation, described the decision as “insane” and said the family views honoring Chauvin as deeply hurtful. Cains argued that Floyd’s death remains a painful chapter for millions of people and said elevating the former officer sends the wrong message.

The family also linked the controversy to ongoing public debate surrounding comedian Tony Hinchcliffe’s George Floyd joke during a recent roast of Kevin Hart. According to Cains, the family believes the backlash over the joke reflects a broader cultural environment in which some people have become more comfortable making light of Floyd’s death.

Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison, who led the prosecution that secured Chauvin’s conviction, sharply criticized the moment of silence. In a statement, Ellison said he was “heartbroken and frankly shocked” by the decision, calling it an act of “profound cruelty” toward Floyd’s family and a disregard for the legal process that upheld Chauvin’s conviction through multiple appeals.

Chauvin was convicted in 2021 for the murder of Floyd after a widely viewed video showed him kneeling on Floyd’s neck during an arrest in Minneapolis on May 25, 2020. Floyd’s death sparked worldwide protests, renewed calls for police reform, and became a defining moment in conversations about racial justice and policing in America.

As debate continues over the Minnesota GOP convention’s actions, Floyd’s family says its focus remains on promoting healing, justice and community empowerment through the work of the George Floyd Foundation.