Right-wing push to pardon Derek Chauvin reshapes George Floyd narrative
As the fifth anniversary of George Floyd’s death nears, conservatives rally behind a revisionist account, urging Trump to pardon Chauvin.
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| A mural of George Floyd is decorated with yellow roses and handwritten notes at George Floyd Square in Minneapolis, Minnesota, on May 23, 2025, during a tribute nearly five years after his death in police custody. Photo by Kerem Yucel/AFP |
By Widya Putri and Adila Ghina
When the video of George Floyd’s final moments went viral on May 25, 2020, the world reacted with near-unanimous horror. Republicans and Democrats, police officers and protesters, Black and white Americans—nearly all agreed that Floyd’s death at the hands of Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin was a clear instance of police brutality. That shared outrage led to widespread protests, an emotional reckoning on race, and ultimately, Chauvin’s conviction and a 22.5-year prison sentence for murder.
Now, as the fifth anniversary of Floyd’s death approaches, that initial consensus has fractured. A growing right-wing movement is calling for President Donald Trump to pardon Derek Chauvin, asserting that the former officer was the victim of a politically charged prosecution. What was once broadly seen as an open-and-shut case of abuse is now being recast by conservative voices as an injustice that catalyzed a broader liberal “overreach.”
Ben Shapiro and the conservative shift
Leading the charge is conservative commentator Ben Shapiro. In a dramatic shift from his original stance in 2020—when he called the incident “obviously” police brutality—Shapiro is now using his platform to campaign for Chauvin’s pardon. On his show The Daily Wire, Shapiro has devoted a series of episodes to “The Case for Derek Chauvin,” portraying the former officer as a scapegoat for a nation in the throes of racial panic.
In March, Shapiro argued, “President Trump’s war on wokeness cannot be considered complete unless he addresses the fundamental injustice that started it all.” He launched a petition, which has reportedly amassed nearly 80,000 signatures, urging Trump to issue a federal pardon.
While Trump has publicly stated that he is not currently considering such a move, right-wing influencers like Jack Posobiec and Charlie Kirk have echoed Shapiro’s call. On X (formerly Twitter), Elon Musk responded to the idea with: “something to think about.”
The narrative rewrite
This renewed push to pardon Derek Chauvin is fueled by a reinterpretation of the events surrounding Floyd’s death. Conservative commentators claim that Floyd’s death was not caused by Chauvin’s knee on his neck, but by a combination of pre-existing health conditions, drug use, or even a rare tumor. Though these theories were all considered—and rejected—during Chauvin’s trial, they have gained traction in right-wing circles as part of a broader counternarrative.
Shapiro and others argue that the original trial was influenced by mob pressure and media bias. They point to the lack of visible neck injuries on Floyd’s autopsy report as evidence that contradicts the prosecution’s claims. However, medical experts testified that airway restriction can occur without visible trauma, and the jury ultimately concluded that Chauvin’s actions directly caused Floyd’s death.
The conservative revision of events often leans heavily on selected court documents, body camera footage, and Floyd’s past criminal record, using them to frame the conviction as unjust. Right-wing outlets and influencers have amplified this message, warning that the initial response to Floyd’s death set off a wave of misguided liberal policies, including diversity hiring quotas, “woke” education programs, and widespread anti-police sentiment.
Undermining reform through revision
Brian O’Hara, Minneapolis’s current police chief, has strongly condemned the revisionist effort. “We all knew what we saw, and we all knew it was wrong,” he wrote in a February op-ed for The Minnesota Star Tribune. O’Hara accuses those attempting to recast the event of undermining police reform initiatives and spreading dangerous misinformation.
Indeed, misinformation surrounding Floyd’s death began almost immediately in 2020. Conspiracy theories from QAnon claimed that the event had been staged, and viral social media posts falsely accused billionaire George Soros of funding the protests. These falsehoods laid the groundwork for today’s calls to pardon Derek Chauvin by sowing doubt about the official narrative.
Echoes of January 6
The effort to reshape the story of George Floyd’s death mirrors the conservative reframing of another pivotal moment in recent American history: the January 6 Capitol riot. Initially condemned across the political spectrum, the attack has since been described by Trump and his allies as a patriotic protest. Trump later pardoned several participants, dubbing the event “a day of love.”
Political analysts see this strategy as part of a broader pattern. “Repetition and amplification equals truth for our brains,” said Esosa Osa, founder of Onyx Impact, a nonprofit combating disinformation in Black communities. “This is how bad actors can hack the media ecosystem.”
Cultural reinforcements and media allies
Conservative media figures have added fuel to the movement. Former Fox News host Tucker Carlson called Chauvin’s conviction a “Southern lynching,” while right-wing documentarians have released films challenging the mainstream narrative.
In 2022, Kanye West appeared at the premiere of The Greatest Lie Ever Sold: George Floyd and the Rise of BLM, a documentary by Candace Owens that echoed claims that Floyd died of a drug overdose. The following year, The Fall of Minneapolis, by Liz Collin—wife of a former police union head—featured Chauvin’s first public comments since his conviction. In the film, he dismissed the trial as “a sham.”
Collin argued that media and public officials had selectively presented information, fueling racial tension. “The idea that George Floyd was a victim of racist brutality has created a divisive narrative that we’re still living with,” she said in an interview.
Political posturing on both sides
As the anniversary of Floyd’s death approaches, both Democrats and Republicans are accused of using the case for political gain. Conservative pundit Tim Pool claims Democrats are exaggerating the possibility of a pardon to attack Trump, while liberal prosecutor Larry Krasner warns of potential unrest being exploited to justify military crackdowns.
“What they’re trying to do is get people in the cities to engage in unrest so they can bring in the military,” Krasner posted on Instagram.
Whether a Chauvin pardon actually materializes or not, the movement itself reveals deeper currents in American politics: a willingness to challenge facts for ideological gain, the power of media repetition to sway public opinion, and the fragility of consensus in an increasingly polarized nation.
Legal limitations and symbolic implications
Even if Trump were to act, the pardon would have limited legal effect. Chauvin was convicted on both state and federal charges. A presidential pardon could only apply to the federal sentence, meaning Chauvin would still have to serve out the remainder of his state sentence in Minnesota.
Still, the symbolism of such a move would be enormous. It would not only validate the right’s counternarrative but also potentially reignite national tensions over race, policing, and justice. For those who watched Floyd’s final moments and saw injustice, the prospect of Chauvin’s redemption at the hands of Trump is nothing short of surreal.
Yet for others, like Shapiro and his supporters, it’s the culmination of years of campaigning to rewrite what they believe was a rushed and emotional judgment—one that, in their view, forever altered America’s cultural landscape.
As voices on both sides prepare for Sunday’s anniversary, the story of George Floyd—his death, the protests, the trial, and the aftermath—remains a flashpoint in America’s unresolved struggle with truth, race, and justice.
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