The girlfriend of George Floyd is worried that President Donald Trump might eventually pardon the officer responsible for Floyd’s death, an incident of severe police violence that led to massive protests.
Sunday is the fifth anniversary of the murder of Floyd by cop Derek Chauvin who knelt on his neck for nine minutes.
Courtney Ross, who is still grieving the loss of Floyd, has expressed her unease about the increasing power of far-right groups in the United States. She is concerned that this movement’s rise might influence Trump to pardon the officer.
Ross believes the president faces increasing pressure from far-right supporters who regard Chauvin not as a killer, but as a political martyr unjustly convicted.
Speaking to The Mirror, Ross said : ‘Every time it comes up, he either says he’s not considering it, or he brushes it off like it’s not important,’ she says.
‘That’s his way of dealing with it – by not dealing with it. And that terrifies me. Because not dealing with it now doesn’t mean he won’t do it later.’
‘I don’t trust him. And I know that there are people whispering in his ear who want that pardon. I really believe one day, under Trump, it could happen,’ she added.
‘If he does that… if he lets Chauvin walk free, it’s not just about one man. It’s about everything we fought for. Everything George died for.’
The girlfriend of George Floyd fears that President Donald Trump will one day pardon the police officer who killed him five years ago. Pictured: George Floyd with girlfriend Courtney Ross
Ross says this is because the president is under growing pressure from his far-right allies who see Chauvin as a political martyr
In this image from video provided by Darnella Frazier, Minneapolis Police Officer Derek Chauvin kneels on the neck of George Floyd, a handcuffed man who was pleading that he could not breathe, on Monday, May 25, 2020
Her remarks come just two months after the US president said he was not aware of the effort to have him pardon Chauvin.
Floyd’s May 2020 death at the hands of Chauvin cued widespread protests and propelled the Black Lives Matter movement to the forefront of American politics.
Trump, in turn, ran counter to it during his quest for reelection that year.
During one of Trump’s most controversial moments in office, Black Lives Matter protesters were tear gassed and H Street N.W. was cleared so that the Republican president could march over to Saint John’s Church and hold up a Bible.
Conservative commentator Ben Shapiro has publicly called on Trump to pardon the officer for the federal crimes associated with Floyd’s death – with DOGE leader Elon Musk retweeting a Shapiro post and commenting, ‘Something to think about.’
Chuavin was convicted in April 2021 on the state charges of unintentional second-degree murder, third-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter – and was the first white police officer convicted in the death of a black victim in Minnesota history.
He was sentenced to 22.5 years in prison on the state charges.
Floyd’s May 2020 death cued widespread protests and propelled the Black Lives Matter movement
Protestors demonstrate outside of the burning Minneapolis 3rd Police Precinct in Minneapolis on May 28, 2020
Conservative commentator Ben Shapiro has publicly called on Trump to pardon the officer for the federal crimes associated with Floyd’s death
Chuavin was convicted in April 2021 on the state charges of unintentional second-degree murder, third-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter
In June 2021, Chauvin was also convicted on federal charges including depriving Floyd of his civil rights. Chauvin also was convicted of depriving a 14-year-old of his civil rights in a separate case.
He received 21 years in prison for those charges – but is serving the terms concurrently.
If Trump decided to pardon Chauvin, the state charges and 22.5 year sentence would hold.
Still, it would be a symbolic win against the Black Lives Matter movement.
Trump and his MAGA movement have been more broadly against any moves toward racial equality that would put their white majority at a disadvantage.
Since taking office in January, Trump has purged the federal government of DEI -diversity, equity and inclusion – programs, which aimed to diversify the federal workforce.
The Trump administration has also tried to undo some of the racially sensitive measures put in place on the heels of Floyd’s death.
Earlier this week, the Trump administration announced it would dismiss lawsuits against police departments in Minneapolis, Minnesota, and Louisville, Kentucky.
A mural honoring George Floyd is seen on a wall nearly five years after his killing by Minneapolis police, painted with the words “I CAN BREATHE NOW” and surrounded by names of other victims of police violence in Minneapolis, Minnesota on May 19, 2025
The administration of former President Joe Biden sued the departments in Minneapolis and Louisville and opened investigations of others in Arizona, New Jersey, Tennessee, New York, Oklahoma and Louisiana – probes that were shut down by Trump.
At least one expert said failure to fill the oversight void left by the federal government could unleash more dangerous behavior by police.
But Trump’s Justice Department called Biden’s actions a ‘failed experiment’ that stripped control from local officials and handed it to un-elected bureaucrats.
It expressed confidence the vast majority of police would protect constitutional rights and said it would step in on the rare instance when police break the law.
