What did Ben Shapiro say about Derek Chauvin? Elon Musk responds to podcaster's plea to pardon Minneapolis cop convicted in George Floyd's killing

Elon Musk has responded to Ben Shapiro's call to pardon Derek Chauvin, the cop convicted in the killing of George Floyd. Reposting a tweet by Shapiro featuring a link to a petition calling for President Donald Trump to issue a pardon to the former Minneapolis cop, Musk wrote:

"Sometime to think about."

Ben Shapiro claimed that Chauvin was unjustly convicted as he was "not guilty beyond reasonable doubt."

"We have a guy rotting in prison, who the evidence demonstrates certianly not guilty beyond resaonable doubt. In that case, if we're going to be talking about delivering pardons, (I think) President Trump should consider pardanoing... Derek Chauvin."

For the unversed, in May 2020, Minneapolis cops arrested Floyd after a grocery store employee called them over suspicions that Floyd used counterfeit money. He eventually died after Chauvin pressed his knee to Floyd's neck for nine and a half minutes. Cellphone videos from witnesses show that he repeatedly stated he couldn't breathe.

In April 2021, Derek Chauvin was convicted of unintentional second-degree murder, third-degree murder, and second-degree manslaughter in a Minnesota court.

He received a twenty-two and a half year prison sentence. A year later, a federal jury found Chauvin guilty of violating Floyd's civil rights, sentencing him to twenty-one years in prison (concurrent).

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"Represents the defining achievement of the Woke movement in American politics"—Ben Shapiro about Derek Chauvin's conviction

Ben Shapiro started an online campaign in support of Derek Chauvin. The website features an open letter addressed to President Trump arguing that the former Minneapolis cop was "unjustly convicted" for the murder of George Floyd.

He claimed that George Floyd's murder was the "inciting event" that sparked the Black Lives Matter (BLM) movement protests and subsequent riots. Shapiro noted that the movement resulted in more than "$2 billion in property damage" across American cities and set racial relations on its "worst footing" in recent history.

Ben Shapiro alleged that there was evidence that showed Chauvin's actions did not lead to the death of George Floyd.

Shapiro claimed that Floyd was "high on fentanyl" and had a "pre-existing heart condition," adding that he was saying he couldn't breathe even before the cops had him on the ground.

He further argued that videos of the tragedy circulating online show Chauvin's knee was on Floyd's back or shoulder for a large amount of time. The conservative political commentator claimed that Floyd's autopsy showed "no damage" to his trachea.

"There was no accusation at trial that Derek Chauvin targeted George Floyd for his race," Ben Shapiro's letter read.

Shapiro continued to assert that the jury had massive pressure to "return a guilty verdict" in the form of "threats, coercion, and intimidation." He concluded his message, writing:

"The Derek Chauvin conviction represents the defining achievement of the Woke movement in American politics. The country cannot turn the page on that dark, divisive, and racist era without righting this terrible wrong."

It is worth noting that if President Trump chooses clemency, it would only apply to Chauvin's federal conviction. His state conviction would still stand. However, he is eligible for an early release.

According to an article by The Hill, Chauvin has unsuccessfully tried to appeal his conviction in the past.

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President Trump has not publicly reacted to the development at this writing.