Republicans were less enthusiastic than Democrats about the three guilty verdicts for former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin, who was convicted Tuesday of the murder in the second degree of George Floyd.
While Democrats celebrated the verdict on Capitol Hill and declared that “justice” was done, Republicans gave reporters a range of more muted responses. The news came just a couple of hours after Democrats blocked a resolution proposed by Republicans to censure California Democratic Rep. Maxine Waters for attempting to incite riots by calling for Minneapolis protesters to be more “confrontational” if Chauvin was not found guilty.
DEMOCRATS CHEER CHAUVIN VERDICT: ‘JUSTICE HAS BEEN DONE’
Chauvin was convicted of murder and manslaughter for pinning Floyd, a black man, to the ground with his knee on his neck in a case that sparked nationwide riots.
“I think the jury did its job, and I did not follow, of course, all the parts of the trial,” Iowa Republican Sen. Joni Ernst said. “But I would say that given the information they received, they did their job, and I guess I’m in agreement.”
South Carolina Republican Sen. Tim Scott, a leading proponent of the Senate police reform legislation, praised the guilty counts coming from the verdict and confirmed to reporters he and New Jersey Democratic Sen. Cory Booker are working on the bill again.
“The verdict just reinforces that our justice system continues to become more just … We’ve been working on the police reform legislation, and we’ll continue to work on it. I think we’re in a position to move it forward,” he said.
Prior to the verdict, other Republicans were more disappointed with the potential outside influence on the trial. Immediately before the verdict was read, President Joe Biden told reporters he was “praying the verdict is the right verdict, which is — I think it’s overwhelming, in my view.” He added, “I wouldn’t say that unless the jury was sequestered now and not hearing me say that.”
This prompted Sen. Ted Cruz to respond, “Joe Biden decides that Maxine Waters shouldn’t be the only politician foolishly providing grounds for a mistrial or a possible basis on appeal to challenge any guilty conviction.”
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Rep. Glenn Grothman, a Wisconsin Republican, told the Washington Examiner he did not have time to watch the trial but that most law enforcement he knows felt that Chauvin should have been found not guilty.
