Marjorie Taylor Greene Urges Trump to Pardon Derek Chauvin
May 15, 2025 — As the fifth anniversary of George Floyd's death approaches, Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA) has reignited national debate by calling for a federal pardon for Derek Chauvin, the former Minneapolis police officer convicted in Floyd’s 2020 killing.
In a recent post on X (formerly Twitter), Greene claimed Floyd died from a drug overdose, not police misconduct, and urged former President Donald Trump to intervene. “I strongly support Derek Chauvin being pardoned and released from prison,” she wrote, aligning with a growing chorus of MAGA supporters making similar demands.
Chauvin, now 49, was convicted in 2021 for kneeling on Floyd’s neck for nearly nine minutes during an arrest over an alleged counterfeit $20 bill. Floyd’s repeated cries of “I can’t breathe” and the viral footage of his final moments triggered global protests and a reckoning over police brutality and racial injustice.
Although medical examiners acknowledged the presence of fentanyl and methamphetamine in Floyd’s system, his death was officially ruled a homicide caused by the officer’s restraint. Chauvin was sentenced to concurrent federal and state terms — 21 years and 22½ years respectively — and his appeals were denied by both state and U.S. Supreme Courts.
Chauvin is currently incarcerated at FCI Big Spring in Texas, following a 2023 stabbing incident at his previous facility in Arizona. His expected release dates are December 2035 for his state sentence and November 2037 for the federal sentence, with supervised release until 2043.
Governor Tim Walz of Minnesota responded to the speculation about a potential pardon, clarifying that Trump can only pardon Chauvin’s federal sentence. “He will still serve his 22½-year term in Minnesota,” Walz said. “If Trump acts, we’ll transfer him back to state custody.”
Attorney General Keith Ellison, who led Chauvin’s prosecution, echoed this view. “Trump has no power to pardon Chauvin’s state conviction. A federal pardon would only return him to serve his state time. The move would signal blatant disrespect toward George Floyd and the rule of law.”
Minneapolis authorities and state agencies also stated there is no credible intelligence of a pardon or unrest, but contingency plans are in place. Since 2020, the city has updated its emergency protocols to be ready for any developments.
Meanwhile, several right-wing personalities, including Elon Musk, Ben Shapiro, and Charlie Kirk, have previously supported calls for Chauvin’s release. Influencer Tim Pool reacted to Greene’s support by writing, “Derek Chauvin did nothing wrong.”
The renewed debate underscores how deeply the nation remains divided over the case that reshaped global conversations on policing and racial justice.