The Minnesota GOP Just Hit a New Low
During the second day of the state GOP’s annual conference in Duluth on Saturday, Minnesota Republicans conducted a moment of silence for Chauvin, who is currently serving a prison term of 22 1/2 years for the second-degree murder of George Floyd in Minneapolis.
When asked about the moment of silence on Monday, Minnesota GOP chair Alex Plechash said the request came from the group’s body, not leadership. (The moment of silence reportedly came at the request of one of the state’s delegates.)
“There are a lot of people, I think, that believe Derek Chauvin was improperly convicted and not treated well, and those people wanted to have a moment of silence and recognition because they felt that way,” he said.
Asked whether he agreed with those members, Plechash declined to comment. “I believe the court system had its verdict and I’m not going to challenge the court,” he said.
Of course, Plechash’s consent to honor Chauvin is all the evidence one needs that party leadership is bowing to an extremist sect that basks in conspiracy theories and celebrates state violence.
It also feels particularly cruel following the more recent killings of two other Minnesotans at the hands of federal law enforcement, Renee Good and Alex Pretti. The alleged perpetrators, ICE officer Jonathan Ross, Border Patrol agent Jesus Ochoa, and CBP officer Raymundo Gutierrez, have yet to face any charges for the killings.
