Pelosi prays for ‘truth to prevail’ in Chauvin trial

Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) on Monday commended the family of George Floyd for their “dignified calls for justice” as the closing arguments are made in the trial of former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin.

“Today is a solemn day as the closing arguments are presented in the George Floyd murder trial. I commend the Floyd family for their dignified calls for justice, which were heard around the world,” Pelosi said in a statement. “As outraged as we are by his death, let us be prayerful that the truth will prevail and will honor George Floyd’s memory.”

Chauvin is charged with second- and third-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter in Floyd’s death in May. He is accused of causing Floyd’s death by kneeling on his neck for more than nine minutes.

Pelosi has previously signaled solidarity with protesters calling for justice for Floyd’s death. In June she joined protesters outside the Capitol.

Shortly after Floyd’s death, Pelosi told reporters, “We saw it on TV — [Floyd] being murdered on TV.”

“Let’s take our lead from them in terms of how these things are sequenced,” Pelosi said. “But we did see a murder on TV. And it wasn’t self-defense.”

Prosecutors in the Chauvin case gave their closing arguments on Monday morning. One of the prosecutors Steve Schleicher made it clear in his arguments that Floyd was “not on trial.”

“[We] need to be clear: This is not the trial of George Floyd. George Floyd is not on trial here,” Schleicher said.

“You’ve heard some things about George Floyd, that he struggled with drug addiction, that he was being investigated for allegedly passing a fake $20 bill that there was never any evidence introduced that he knew was fake in the first place. Right, but, but he is not on trial. He didn’t get a trial when he was alive, and he is not on trial here,” Schleicher continued.