Legal experts explain that while conservative calls for President Trump to pardon former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin grow, such action would have limited impact on his overall incarceration time [1][2].

Conservative commentator Ben Shapiro launched a petition on March 5, 2025, calling for Trump to pardon Chauvin's federal conviction related to George Floyd's 2020 death. The effort gained amplification when Elon Musk, a Trump administration advisor, shared Shapiro's appeal as 'something to think about' [2].

Legal scholars emphasize that a presidential pardon would only affect Chauvin's federal sentence, not his state murder conviction. 'Practically speaking... even if he's pardoned on the federal conviction, the state conviction continues,' explained Alan Rozenshtein, associate professor at the University of Minnesota Law School [2].

Chauvin is currently serving concurrent sentences:

22.5 years on state charges for second-degree murder21 years on federal civil rights violations

Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison, who prosecuted the state case, confirmed that 'his state charges, where he got 22.5 years, will remain no matter what Trump does' [1].

While a federal pardon could potentially affect Chauvin's release timeline, experts note the practical impact would be limited. Current projections show a federal release date of November 2037, while his state sentence projects release in December 2035 [2].

The White House has declined to comment on whether President Trump is considering such a pardon [2]. Any state-level clemency would require approval from Minnesota's Board of Pardons, which includes the governor, attorney general, and chief justice [2].