Minn. GOP holds moment of silence for Derek Chauvin days after the 6th anniversary of George Floyd’s death
State officials denounced the tribute to Chauvin, whose conviction followed George Floyd’s killing and sparked a nationwide movement for racial justice.
The Minnesota Republican Party is facing backlash after delegates at its state convention opened Saturday’s proceedings with a 10-second moment of silence for Derek Chauvin, the former Minneapolis police officer convicted of murdering George Floyd. The tribute came just days after the sixth anniversary of Floyd’s death on May 25, 2020.
As theGrio has previously reported, the Trump White House was pressed earlier this year on whether the president would pardon Chauvin, and theGrio has also covered Keith Ellison’s role in leading the prosecution that won Chauvin’s conviction. According to TMZ, the tribute drew immediate condemnation from Minnesota officials.
Chauvin was convicted in 2021 of second-degree murder after video showed him kneeling on Floyd’s neck for more than nine minutes during a 2020 arrest. The footage triggered nationwide protests and renewed calls for police reform. He is currently serving concurrent federal and state prison sentences and is not scheduled for release until 2037.
“To honor the man convicted of murdering George Floyd — days after the very anniversary of that terrible day — is an act of profound cruelty to the Floyd family and to every Minnesotan who believes in accountability under law.” -AG Ellisonhttps://t.co/60RxpanDfG
— Democratic AGs (@DemocraticAGs) June 1, 2026
Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison, who led the prosecution team that secured Chauvin’s conviction, said he was “heartbroken and frankly shocked” that the Minnesota GOP would hold a tribute for a convicted murderer. “Minnesota’s families — all of them — deserve better,” Ellison said. State Rep. Jamie Long also called the moment of silence “disgusting.”
The MN GOP opened their convention with a moment of silence for Derek Chauvin.
Not for those we lost to gun violence.
Not for soldiers killed overseas.
To a literal convicted murderer. Disgusting.
— Jamie Long (@Jamiemlong) May 31, 2026
Despite multiple attempts to appeal his convictions, Chauvin has had little success in court. The U.S. Supreme Court declined to hear his challenge to his state conviction in 2023, and he continues to pursue efforts to undo his federal conviction while serving a sentence that runs until 2037.
The controversy lands at a moment when the broader national debate around racial justice and policing remains unresolved. Conservative figures including Ben Shapiro had publicly campaigned for a presidential pardon for Chauvin earlier this year, a push the White House ultimately distanced itself from.