California Congresswoman Maxine Waters visited Minneapolis—with special police escort—to protest police conduct and told reporters that protestors should be “more confrontational” in the case of a not guilty verdict for Derek Chauvin. Even CNN’s Chris Cillizza said this was the last thing the city needed.
Summary
California Rep Maxine Waters visited Minneapolis on the eve of the Derek Chauvin trial’s conclusion, where she addressed a crowd of protestors and spoke to reporters in which she urged protestors to “get more confrontational” if Chauvin is found not guilty.
- Local Minneapolis news is painting a different picture, with one outlet focusing on Waters urging the crowd to vote while another frames the saga as conservative outrage.
- Waters’ comments come as jurors in the Chauvin trial are under intense global scrutiny, leaving them isolated as sequestration orders prevent them from speaking or reading about the trial, with so many outside the courtroom waiting for the verdict before making their next move (whether to riot or not).
- The judge overseeing Chauvin’s murder trial upbraided Waters, saying her comments were “abhorrent” and telling Chauvin’s defense attorney she may have allowed him to appeal a guilty verdict based on her statements.
- Waters’ words made waves in Washington, as Speaker Nancy Pelosi dismissed criticism, saying Waters has nothing for which to apologize.
- Republican Leader Kevin McCarthy will introduce a resolution to censure Rep. Waters for “inciting violence.”
- While Vox has not mentioned Rep Waters in their Chauvin murder trial coverage, CNN admitted how irresponsible her rhetoric is, and that it was not the first time she’s egged on crowds to harass people.
- The New York Times focused on reaction from the judge in the Chauvin case, who said it was likely to be enough for an appeal of a potential guilty verdict, while ABC News reported on the defense’s request for a mistrial after Waters’ comments became public.
- CBS News framed their coverage on Republican reaction, focusing on McCarthy’s censure resolution and controversial congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene introducing a resolution to expel Rep Waters from the House of Representatives.
- Reports that Rep Waters had a special police escort while visiting Minneapolis dominated The Federalist’s coverage, saying Capitol Police requested Minneapolis police escort her, but then tying her comments to a drive-by shooting that injured National Guard members.
- OANN zeroed in on the White House, headlining their coverage with reluctance from press secretary Jen Psaki to condemn Waters’ remarks.
- The Daily Caller focused their coverage on the judge’s rejection of the defense attorney’s motion to declare a mistrial but admitting it “may have given you something on appeal” that could overturn the whole trial.
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© Dallas Gerber, 2021
