Chauvin murder trial was 'very fair': defense attorney
Ex-Minneapolis police officer found guilty on all charges in death of George Floyd. Reaction from criminal defense lawyer Robert Bianchi.
Outlandish analysis, cringe-worthy moments and over-the-top Twitter hot takes were prominent on Tuesday after a jury found former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin guilty of murdering George Floyd.
Political satirist Tim Young said the Chauvin trial became "the virtue signal Olympics" because of the non-stop takes.
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"Everyone on both sides of the aisle suddenly became a legal expert," Young told Fox News. "We live in a bizarre time when you really think about it, people rush to gain clout by saying what they believe others want to hear about very serious issues and life changing events for what essentially adds up to points on social media."
Extreme rhetoric started before the verdict came in, when Rep. Maxine Waters, D-Calif., declared people should get "confrontational" in the streets if Chauvin wasn’t convicted and liberal media members such as PBS’ Yamiche Alcindor and "The View" co-host Joy Behar rushed to her defense. President Biden then stunned legal experts by admitting he was "praying the verdict is the right verdict."
CNN’s Chris Cuomo declared "White people's children" would have to be killed in order for police reform to take place and CNN senior legal analyst Laura Coates suggested that boarding up businesses was a sign government officials got a "heads-up" there would be an acquittal.
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A jury found former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin guilty on murder and manslaughter charges in connection with the death of George Floyd.
Everyone seemed to chime in once the jury found the former cop guilty on all three charges of second-degree murder, third-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter – but not everyone had thoughtful, sober analysis.
MSNBC political contributor Jason Johnson quickly stood out when he said he was "not happy" with the verdict.
"I don’t think this is a good thing. I don't have any sense of satisfaction. I don't think this is the system working. I don't think this is a good thing. What this says to me is that in order to get a nominal degree of justice in this country, that a Black man has to be murdered on air, viewed by the entire world, there has to be a year’s worth of protests ... in order to get one scintilla of justice," Johnson said. "That doesn’t make me feel happy."
MSNBC contributor Eddie Glaude seemed to suggest police officers might retaliate over the conviction, while CNN went into full-blown celebratory mode that is rarely seen from a news network.
Fourth Watch founder and editor Steve Krakauer joined "Tucker Carlson Tonight" to offer his thoughts on the cable news coverage of the verdict.
"I think this is an example, really, of the way the media operates these days. Everything from all the good and all the evil that exists in America, at least that is being portrayed into the media, is cast into this one story, as if this is some sort of microcosm of everything good and everything horrible in America," Krakauer said. "And then, once this is over, now what? Now you’ve got to move on to the next thing, now you’ve got to cast all of these goods and ills onto the next story."
The bizarre takes weren’t reserved for cable news, as Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., faced intense backlash after she thanked George Floyd for "sacrificing your life for justice" after the verdict was handed down. Critics from both sides of the aisle blasted Pelosi's remarks.
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Analysis was even more cringe-worthy on social media, where everyone from private citizens to major corporations and sports franchises rushed to Twitter with hot takes.
Filmmaker Michael Moore wanted to "end policing as we know it" and Ice Cube asked if the judge will "do the right thing," urging his family to be careful because "the Empire always strikes back."
The NFL's Las Vegas Raiders were roasted for tweeting, "I can breathe," as an attempt to pay tribute to Floyd that wound up offending people from all sides.
Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey was lampooned for tweeting, "George Floyd came to Minneapolis to better his life. But ultimately his life will have bettered our city. The jury joined in a shared conviction that has animated Minneapolis for the last 11 months. They refused to look away and affirmed he should still be here today."
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"The tweets flying around right now are WILDLY inappropriate," Barstool Sports host Kevin Clancy tweeted.
Chauvin faces up to 40 years imprisonment on the second-degree murder conviction alone. His sentencing will take place in eight weeks.
Fox News’ Cortney O’Brien, David Rutz,, and Joseph A. Wulfsohn contributed to this report.
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