Wingnuts Freaking Out Over Chauvin Verdict (Except Judge Jeanine)
While many observers welcomed the jury's finding on Tuesday that Derek Chauvin was guilty of murdering George Floyd, some conservative media figures seemed distinctly perturbed, unsettled, or outraged by the outcome. It seemed that though Floyd's murder was initially was widely condemned, the movement it stirred and demands for changes it spurred from progressives polarized the issue, making some conservatives feel the guilty verdict was a loss for their side.
For example, some pushed the debunked notion that Floyd died from an overdose, rather than the knee on his neck for over 9 minutes:
George Floyd’s death will go down as the most consequential drug overdose in history— Matt Walsh (@Matt Walsh) 1618949963.0
Some just proclaimed Chauvin's innocence on some or all of the charges:
If you're a white police officer in a city you should quit or move to a rural district. You could be next.— Cassandra Fairbanks (@Cassandra Fairbanks)1618956587.0
Poor Chauvin. This is awful. He is a political prisoner. Nobody can change my mind on this.— Cassandra Fairbanks (@Cassandra Fairbanks)1618952952.0
I believe Derek Chauvin is guilty of something, I do not believe it's all three charges. If police officers don't… https://t.co/4u5bo893ij— Brigitte Gabriel (@Brigitte Gabriel)1618954261.0
This was a ritual sacrifice to Black Lives Matter. https://t.co/U4C80U73uQ— Chris Menahan 🇺🇸 (@Chris Menahan 🇺🇸) 1618955867.0
Others simply spent no time actually recognizing that justice was done and instead switched to attacking potential protesters or rioters for events they merely predicted would occur. Many suggested that the jury and the court felt undue pressure to find Chauvin guilty. And some sent frankly bizarre tweets.
You got your justice so I’d assume there will be peace in Minneapolis tonight? No rioting? No looting? No harassing officers?— Tomi Lahren (@Tomi Lahren) 1618953332.0
On Fox, Byron York says despite irrefutable evidence of misconduct, Chauvin's conviction was "predictable" because… https://t.co/MJlbeiFdHh— nikki mccann ramírez (@nikki mccann ramírez) 1618958330.0
Gotta wait to see how the mail-in jury ballots turn out during the overnight count.— Sean Davis (@Sean Davis) 1618953102.0
It is fully insane that the president of the United States seeks to address the nation in the aftermath of individu… https://t.co/SbLeGvNVpE— Ben Shapiro (@Ben Shapiro) 1618952413.0
And we all know he would never have said this had the reverse verdict been reached https://t.co/3qD0SuktR4— Ben Shapiro (@Ben Shapiro) 1618953154.0
BLM is right: our justice system is rigged— Scott Greer 6’2” IQ 187 (@Scott Greer 6’2” IQ 187) 1618952953.0
BREAKING: Derek Chauvin found guilty of killing the only man who died of something other than coronavirus in the year 2020.— Jesse Kelly (@Jesse Kelly) 1618953546.0
On Fox News, host Greg Gutfeld had one of the most bizarre reactions, condemned from pretty much all sides. He said he thought Chauvin might not be guilty on all counts, but he was glad he was found guilty anyway to avoid potential violence and looting.
"And now I'm just going to just get really selfish," he said. "I'm glad that he was found guilty on all charges. Even if he might not be guilty of all charges."
Some of his own co-hosts, including Jeanine Pirro — who is often herself quite far to the right politically — pushed back on his comments. And she actually offered a surprisingly measured and thoughtful response to the trial.
"The verdict is supported by the facts," she said. "Make no mistake, the facts are solid on this verdict. This verdict will be upheld on appeal."
South Carolina's Sen. Tim Scott, the only Black Republican in the Senate, also supported the result:
Sen. Tim Scott: “There is no question in my mind that the jury reached the right verdict. While this outcome should… https://t.co/ODE2gj7oIR— Manu Raju (@Manu Raju) 1618957925.0
