The left and right generally agreed on Chauvin’s conviction. It didn’t stop journalists, pro sports teams, and politicians from saying some incredibly stupid things.
Summary
After roughly ten hours of deliberations, the jury in the trial of former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin over the murder of George Floyd came back with three guilty verdicts.
- Axios reported that despite the guilty verdict for Chauvin, “it’s still rare for police officers to face legal consequences” in officer-involved deaths of African Americans, listing out all relatively recent incidents.
- President Biden responded to the news of Chauvin’s conviction, saying it can help move the “country against systemic racism.”
- The Congressional Black Caucus held a press conference, saying the verdict is “a little bit of relief” and calling on the Senate to take up the House-passed George Floyd Justice in Policing Act.
- Late night host and “comedian” Stephen Colbert, whose opinion no one asked for, said in his monologue that America “does not have a great track record” but the Chauvin verdict shows “accountability”, while also saying “justice is a far more difficult goal.”
- Vox joined in the chorus on the left effectively saying the conviction of the man responsible for George Floyd’s murder Is not enough and highlighted liberal activists’ call for “stronger federal oversight” of local policing and defunding police departments.
- Slate fixated over Fox News’ coverage of the guilty verdict, claiming one Fox News host’s approval of Chauvin’s conviction is actually support for systemic racism by claiming the “bad apple” in otherwise-good police departments was held accountable.
- The New York Times continued the left’s moving of goal posts, saying that despite Chauvin’s conviction for the murder of George Floyd, “real change feels elusive” while tying the George Floyd tragedy to the controversy regarding Georgia’s recently passed election reform law.
- Huffington Post highlighted one thing both the right and the left agreed on: the tone deaf, idiotic, bizarre, and inappropriate tweet from the professional football team Las Vegas Raiders’ official Twitter account proclaiming “I Can Breathe” in reference to Floyd’s protestations of “I can’t breathe” while Officer Chauvin’s knee was on this neck.
- Newsmax interviewed celebrity attorney Alan Dershowitz about the verdict, who said the verdict was based on “fear” of “outside influences” within the jury, referencing Congresswoman Maxine Waters’ remarks about being “more confrontational” in the event of a not guilty verdict.
- Coverage at Fox News also included remarks from Speaker Nancy Pelosi, who is trying to out-do the Las Vegas Raiders for the most ridiculous commentary on the verdict, in which Speaker Pelosi thanked George Floyd for dying and “sacrificing your life for justice.” (Yes, she really said that.)
- Townhall.com ripped President Biden’s and Vice President Harris’ remarks, saying Biden and Harris’ comments on “systemic racism” ring hollow when Biden spent four decades in public service and did nothing to “reform the stain of systemic racism” while Harris’ time as a prosecutor made her a part of the system she now decries.
- The Federalist noted Vice President Harris echoing the sentiments of left-wing activists who are claiming the conviction of Derek Chauvin isn’t enough, even quoting the Attorney General of Minnesota Keith Ellison as saying “I would not call today’s verdict justice.”
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© Dallas Gerber, 2021
