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Fox News host Tucker Carlson has falsely claimed that former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin, who knelt on George Floyd's neck for over nine minutes as the 46-year-old Black man repeatedly said he couldn't breathe, didn't murder anyone.
After video of the killing sparked a nationwide racial reckoning, Chauvin was convicted and sentenced to 22.5 years in prison on state murder and manslaughter charges.
The ex-cop was also sentenced to 21 years in prison for violating Floyd's civil rights.
However, Carlson falsely stated on Tuesday (August 2) that Chauvin didn't murder Floyd.
“We all have to pretend he committed murder, which he didn’t. But whatever, we have to pretend it,” Carlson said on Fox News.
The discussion began with Fox News colleague Laura Ingraham telling Carlson that she had been "stunned at how bad it is in certain parts of Minneapolis" more than two years after demonstrations spurred by Floyd's death.
According to Ingraham, officers in the 3rd precinct are "still operating out of a school."
"They don't even have a permanent presence, a permanent building structure in Minneapolis to this day," Ingraham said. "This is, like, 26 months after Floyd was killed and you can feel it in the officers. They're trying to put on a brave face and they are great people."
Ingraham also cited that a diner, located below a club where Chauvin formerly worked, had been "burned to the ground."
"So, I go to that same location, I said, 'Where's the rebuild?' It's just like weeds, a lot of weeds now," she added. "Nothing, nothing has been done. Shocking."
Carlson responded, "So, they destroy the city, they put this cop in prison for the rest of his life. We all have to pretend he committed murder, which he didn't, but whatever, we have to pretend it, and then they leave and they move on to the next thing to destroy. So perfect."
The false statement comes after Carlson questioned whether Chauvin was “guilty of the specific crimes for which he was just convicted" following the former officer's conviction in April 2021.
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