Conservative commentator Ben Shapiro has launched a petition calling on former President Donald Trump to pardon Derek Chauvin, the former Minneapolis police officer convicted of murdering George Floyd in 2020. The move underscores a growing effort on the right to recast Chauvin’s conviction as a political injustice rather than a legal reckoning for police brutality.

Shapiro’s Argument: A “Weaponized” Justice System?

In a letter accompanying the petition, Shapiro argued that Chauvin was “unjustly convicted” and is now “rotting in prison” due to what he described as immense political pressure on the judicial system. He framed Chauvin’s conviction as a defining moment for what he called the ‘Woke movement’, suggesting that Floyd’s death was used as a political tool to advance racial justice activism at the expense of a fair trial.

“Under these circumstances, there was no opportunity for blind justice to work,”

Despite these claims, Chauvin was convicted in two separate trials—one in Minnesota state court for second-degree murder and another in federal court for violating Floyd’s civil rights. He is serving concurrent sentences totaling over 20 years. His numerous appeals, including one before the U.S. Supreme Court, have so far failed.

Why Shapiro’s Petition Matters

Shapiro’s petition is unlikely to affect Chauvin’s state conviction, as presidential pardons do not apply to state crimes. However, Trump could theoretically pardon Chauvin’s federal conviction, which stems from violating Floyd’s constitutional rights.

The push to exonerate Chauvin fits within a broader right-wing narrative that reinterprets the George Floyd protests as an era of lawlessness rather than a turning point for racial justice. Shapiro specifically referred to the demonstrations as “BLM riots”, emphasizing property damage over the broader issues of police brutality that the protests sought to address.

His petition also comes as Trump leans heavily into his presidential pardon powers, recently vowing to pardon or commute the sentences of many convicted Jan. 6 insurrectionists if reelected. The push to reframe Chauvin’s conviction as a political issue signals a deeper Republican effort to rewrite the history of 2020—not as a moment of racial reckoning, but as an overreach of progressive activism.

Elon Musk Joins the Conversation

Tech billionaire Elon Musk, now a senior adviser to Trump, briefly amplified the petition on his social media platform X, posting simply: “Something to think about.” Musk has increasingly aligned himself with conservative causes, particularly those critiquing the mainstream justice system, though he stopped short of fully endorsing the effort.

His engagement highlights how figures like Musk continue to shape and amplify right-wing narratives, using their platforms to elevate talking points that blur the lines between legal accountability and political grievance.

Trump’s Next Move?

While Trump has yet to comment on the petition, his recent pattern of aggressively wielding pardon powers for political allies and right-wing causes suggests it may be a tempting opportunity to shore up his base. Pardoning Chauvin’s federal conviction would send a clear message to conservatives who see the justice system as biased against them—and further inflame racial tensions heading into the 2024 election.

However, doing so could also ignite a backlash among voters outside Trump’s core support base, particularly those who viewed Floyd’s murder and Chauvin’s conviction as watershed moments in the fight for police accountability.

For now, Shapiro’s petition remains a symbolic effort—but it underscores how the conservative movement continues to reinterpret the defining moments of 2020 to fit a broader political agenda.