Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz (D) has urged city and state officials to get “prepared” in the event President Donald Trump issues a presidential pardon of former Minneapolis officer Derek Chauvin, who was convicted in the high-profile murder of George Floyd.
“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 told reporters this week, noting there was no indication this would actually happen.
“So, no indication whether they’re going to do it or not, but I think it behooves us to be prepared for it. With this presidency, it seems like that might be something they would do.”
Walz’s remarks come as Infowars first broke news on Monday that a memo was circulating among local law enforcement in Minneapolis warning of a possible Chauvin pardon, as reported by FBI whistleblower Kyle Seraphin on The Alex Jones Show.
Local St. Paul ABC affiliate KSTP reported Wednesday that “Gov. Tim Walz, the Minnesota National Guard, Mayor Jacob Frey and Hennepin County Sheriff Dawanna Witt have all been briefed on preparations for possible civil unrest…”
Minneapolis Community Safety Commissioner Toddrick Barnette in a statement to KSTP said there was “no credible intelligence about any pardon,” claiming Chauvin would remain behind bars in the event of a federal pardon.
“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. To be clear, we have no credible intelligence about any pardon or planned disruptions here in Minneapolis. Since 2020, we’ve overhauled our emergency management plans and out of an abundance of caution are planning for any eventuality.”
Asked about a possible pardon for Chauvin in March, Trump answered, “No, I have not heard about that.”
Reporter: "Are you considering pardoning Derek Chauvin?"
— Hoosier Enquirer (@HoosierEnquirer) March 7, 2025
President Trump: "No I haven't even heard about it. I haven't heard that." pic.twitter.com/7wq4vELmng
Meanwhile, conservatives on social media, including Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (Ga.), have backed a pardon of Chauvin, who many say was a wrongfully convicted Democrat scapegoat, since medical reports showed he died of a fentanyl overdose.
It remains to be seen whether the Trump administration moves forward with a pardon for Chauvin or the three other officers incarcerated over the altercation, and whether mass riots similar to the BLM protests seen in 2020 ensue.
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