Tucker Carlson on Tuesday cut an interview short when his guest said former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin used excessive force on George Floyd.
The moment: The Fox News host abruptly ended the segment after former corrections officer Ed Gavin called Chauvin’s measures against the already-subdued Floyd “excessive.”
- Earlier in the day, a Minneapolis jury found Chauvin guilty on three charges: second-degree unintentional murder, third-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter.
- “Yeah, well, the guy who did it, looks like he’s going to spend the rest of his life in prison. I’m kind of more worried about the rest of the country, which thanks to police inaction, in case you haven’t noticed, is, like, boarded up,” Carlson said, laughing.
- When Gavin tried to continue, Carlson cut him off, saying, “Nope, done. Thank you.”
The verdict: Carlson and others expressed concerns that jurors may have been swayed to issue a guilty verdict on all counts because of a climate of intense political pressure.
- Rep. Maxine Waters, a California Democrat, and President Joe Biden have faced criticism for weighing in on the case and possibly giving Chauvin grounds for an appeal.
The aftermath: While liberals lauded the verdict, celebrations were tempered by declarations that “the system” still needs reform.
- “While today’s verdict may have been a necessary step on the road to progress, it was far from a sufficient one,” former President Barack Obama said in a statement. “We cannot rest. We will need to follow through with the concrete reforms that will reduce and ultimately eliminate racial bias in our criminal justice system.
