In a move that could ignite a major firestorm that has reignited debate over one of the most polarizing cases in recent American history, billionaire entrepreneur Elon Musk has lent his voice to a controversial proposal by conservative commentator Ben Shapiro to pardon Derek Chauvin, the former Minneapolis police officer convicted in the 2020 murder of George Floyd.
The development, unfolding in early March 2025, has sparked widespread discussion across social media and news outlets, amplifying an already divisive issue as President Donald Trump prepares to assume office following his re-election.
On March 4, 2025, Newsweek reported that Musk responded to Shapiro’s pardon proposal with a brief but impactful comment: “Something to think about.”
Shared on X, where Musk commands an audience of over 219 million followers, this statement was not an outright endorsement but carried significant weight due to his influence.
Shapiro, a prominent figure in conservative media, had earlier penned an open letter to President Trump, urging him to use his presidential authority to pardon Chauvin, arguing that the conviction was a cornerstone of the “Woke movement” and a miscarriage of justice.
Musk’s decision to engage with the idea has propelled Shapiro’s campaign into the spotlight, drawing both support and outrage.
According to a March 4, 2025, article from The Hill, Shapiro’s proposal hinges on the assertion that Chauvin’s conviction was tainted by public pressure and a biased legal process following the global uproar over Floyd’s death.
Shapiro wrote, “The country cannot turn the page on that dark, divisive, and racist era without righting this terrible wrong.”
Musk’s cryptic response has been interpreted by some as tacit approval, though he has not elaborated further as of March 5, 2025.
The Hill noted that this aligns with Musk’s pattern of using X to amplify provocative ideas, often leaving his exact stance ambiguous.
The timing of Musk’s comment has raised eyebrows. As reported by CNN on March 4, 2025, it coincided with efforts by some Republican lawmakers to pressure Washington, D.C., officials into removing the Black Lives Matter Plaza, a symbolic site established after Floyd’s killing.
Critics, including voices on X, have suggested that this convergence is no accident, framing it as a coordinated push to roll back the cultural and political shifts sparked by the 2020 protests.
CNN quoted legal analyst Joey Jackson, who cautioned that while Trump could theoretically pardon Chauvin’s federal civil rights conviction, his state murder conviction in Minnesota falls outside presidential jurisdiction—a nuance Musk and Shapiro’s advocates have yet to address publicly.
Not everyone agrees with the pardon push. A March 5, 2025, piece from The Washington Post highlighted opposition from legal experts and civil rights advocates.
Richard Painter, a former White House ethics lawyer and law professor, emphasized on X that “Derek Chauvin’s Minnesota conviction cannot be pardoned by the president—only the federal conviction can be.”
The Post also cited a statement from the Floyd family’s attorney, Ben Crump, who called the proposal “a slap in the face to every American who marched for justice,” underscoring the emotional stakes of revisiting the case.
Public reaction has been swift and polarized. Posts on X reflect a spectrum of sentiments, from users decrying Musk’s involvement as “unacceptable” to others praising his willingness to challenge the status quo.
The debate underscores broader tensions as Trump’s incoming administration signals a return to hardline conservative policies.
Fox News, in a March 4, 2025, segment, reported that Trump has not yet commented on the pardon idea, though sources close to the president-elect suggest he is “monitoring the conversation closely.”
