Walz Feeds Rumor Mill About Derek Chauvin Pardon Despite Trump Dismissing Speculation as Nation on Edge Preps for Bubbling Chaos
Gov. Tim Walz (D-MN) and other Democratic leaders have begun raising concerns about the possibility of President Donald Trump pardoning Derek Chauvin, the former police officer convicted in the killing of George Floyd.
These speculations come despite Trump previously stating he hadn’t heard of any efforts to grant Chauvin clemency.
Sources within the Department of Justice informed The New York Post on Wednesday that they too had no knowledge of plans for a Chauvin pardon.
Walz, who served as Kamala Harris’ running mate in the 2024 presidential election, addressed reporters this week regarding the speculation.
While acknowledging that the Trump administration has not signaled any intention to grant clemency to Chauvin, he suggested such a move would align with expectations of the current presidency.
“With this presidency, it seems like that might be something they would do,” Walz remarked, according to reporting from the Minnesota Star Tribune.
The governor further clarified that even if Trump were to issue a pardon, Minnesota authorities would ensure Chauvin serves his sentence regardless of federal action.
“If Donald Trump exercises his constitutional right to do so, whether I agree—and I strongly disagree with him—if he issues that pardon we will simply transfer Derek Chauvin to serve out his 22-and-a-half years in prison in Minnesota,” Walz stated.
Minneapolis Community Safety Commissioner Toddrick Barnette has also indicated the city is preparing for potential developments, suggesting local authorities are taking the speculation seriously despite the lack of official indication.
“Since 2020, we’ve overhauled our emergency management plans and out of an abundance of caution are planning for any eventuality,” Barnette explained.
A critical detail often overlooked in these discussions is that a presidential pardon would not result in Chauvin’s release from incarceration.
This is because Chauvin faces convictions at both the federal and state levels for Floyd’s 2020 killing, which places limitations on presidential pardon powers.
The legal reality means that even with a federal pardon, Chauvin would simply be transferred from federal custody to a Minnesota state prison to continue serving his sentence.
This fact renders much of the speculation about Chauvin’s potential freedom moot, though it hasn’t dampened the political discourse.
The Post highlighted that when questioned by reporters at the White House in March about potentially pardoning Chauvin, President Trump responded plainly, “No, I haven’t even heard about it.”
Minnesota officials, however, are preparing for potential civil unrest amid growing speculation Trump may pardon Chauvin.
Chauvin, age 49, was convicted in April 2021 by a Minnesota state court on three counts: second-degree unintentional murder, third-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter.
The charges stem from Chauvin’s restraint of Floyd by kneeling on his neck for nearly nine minutes during a May 2020 arrest in Minneapolis.
Chauvin was initially housed at Minnesota’s maximum-security Oak Park Heights prison.
In August 2022, he was transferred to a federal facility in Tucson, Arizona.
Following a violent stabbing incident in November 2023 in which inmate John Turscak assaulted him 22 times, Chauvin was moved to the federal correctional institution in Big Spring, Texas, in August 2024.
Rift News reported that Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison, who led the state prosecution against Chauvin, also reinforced that a federal pardon would have no impact on Chauvin’s state incarceration.
“Derek Chauvin murdered George Floyd in front of the whole world. Trump has no power to pardon Chauvin’s state conviction. None,” Ellison told MSNBC.
Ellison continued, “The only conceivable purpose would be to express yet more disrespect for George Floyd and more disrespect for the rule of law. He still owes Minnesota 22-and-a-half years. And, he’s going to do it either in Minnesota or somewhere, but he’s not getting out.”
Minneapolis Community Safety Commissioner Toddrick Barnette addressed the rumors as well.
“We’ve heard the same rumors as everyone else – but the bottom line is that Derek Chauvin would remain behind bars serving his state sentence even if his federal charges are pardoned.”
Barnette added, “To be clear, we have no credible intelligence about any pardon or planned disruptions here in Minneapolis.”
Both the Minnesota Department of Corrections and the Minnesota Police and Peace Officers Association reported that there is currently no evidence to support speculation about an impending pardon.
Despite this, the Department of Corrections has stated it is fully prepared to retrieve Chauvin from federal custody and return him to Minnesota’s Oak Park Heights prison if a federal pardon is granted.
According to public records, Chauvin’s projected release date from state prison is December 10, 2035, with supervised release scheduled until 2043.
His federal release date, if unaltered, is projected for November 18, 2037.
Support for Chauvin’s release has grown among certain public figures.
Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA) posted on X, “I strongly support Derek Chauvin being pardoned and released from prison. George Floyd died of a drug overdose.”
Elon Musk, Ben Shapiro and Charlie Kirk have also contributed to public discussions regarding the possibility of a pardon.
Some commentators, including Jack Posobiec, argue that a federal pardon might help Chauvin appeal his state conviction.
They cite evidence related to Floyd’s heart condition that was not fully explored during the original trial.
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