"An Act of Profound Cruelty" George Floyd's Family Demands an Apology as Minnesota GOP Backs Away From Derek Chauvin Moment of Silence

George Floyd's family is demanding an apology after delegates at the Minnesota Republican convention approved a 10 second moment of silence for Derek Chauvin in Duluth. The gesture came less than a week after the sixth anniversary of Floyd's death and quickly became the most controversial development to emerge from the weekend.

Floor delegates raised the proposal shortly after the opening prayer and Pledge of Allegiance. Convention chair Danny Nadeau initially opposed the idea before allowing a voice vote, and supporters carried the motion before the room fell quiet, according to Minnesota Public Radio.

Christopher Rocco, who introduced the proposal, argued that Chauvin deserved a new trial and a pardon. Nadeau later said he advised against the motion but ultimately allowed delegates to decide the matter through the convention process.

Heads turned and conversations slowed after the vote. Republicans had arrived to nominate candidates, rally supporters and sharpen campaign messages for 2026. Instead, a brief acknowledgment of the former Minneapolis officer became the subject people kept returning to throughout the event.

Hours later, endorsements, campaign speeches and platform discussions struggled to command the same attention. A floor motion that lasted only seconds ended up reshaping much of the public discussion surrounding the gathering.

As criticism mounted, Minnesota Republican leaders moved to separate themselves from the episode. Party officials stressed that the proposal originated with delegates, was not planned by leadership and should not be interpreted as an official position of the Minnesota GOP.

Kendall Qualls, the party's endorsed candidate for governor, suggested the setting was not the right place for such recognition. Other Republicans likewise emphasized that leadership neither proposed nor directed the action, drawing a distinction between decisions made from the floor and positions adopted by the party itself.

Ben Crump and other attorneys representing Floyd's family condemned the episode and demanded an apology. Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison, whose office prosecuted the murder case, called it "an act of profound cruelty" toward Floyd's loved ones.

The former officer remains incarcerated on concurrent state and federal sentences tied to Floyd's murder and the violation of Floyd's civil rights. Courts have repeatedly rejected attempts to overturn those convictions.

Ten seconds passed quickly inside the hall. Floyd's relatives say public attention should remain on a father, brother and son whose death altered the nation's conversation about race and policing rather than on the man convicted of killing him.