Nancy Pelosi: “Thank You George Floyd for Sacrificing Your Life for Justice”

Nancy Pelosi joined the Congressional Black Caucus to react after the guilty verdict of Derek Chauvin in the case of George Floyd (The Hill). YouTube Tips ⓘ

Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi was met with harsh criticism on Tuesday, April 20, 2021 for statements she made following the Derek Chauvin triple-guilty verdict. Pelosi elevated George Floyd saying, “His name is synonymous with justice, and dignity and grace and prayerfulness. We thank God, we thank Jesus because we have been praying to him all along.” A phrase that was particularly distasteful to some was apparently received as awkwardly illogical: “Thank you George Floyd for sacrificing your life for justice.”

There was no acknowledgment from Pelosi that the judicial system worked, but instead props and a nod to a convict, and a thank you to George Floyd, who was convicted in 2007 after he was connected with a home invasion and aggravated robbery crew that used a public works water department ruse to attempt to gain access into a female victim’s residence. The victim tried to close her door, but a crew of offenders, including George Floyd, forcibly entered the residence. The victim, who was pregnant, identified George Floyd as the tallest of the robbers, who pressed a pistol to her abdomen during the home invasion. George Floyd pleaded guilty to the crime with waiver of a jury trial.

Criticism of Pelosi came from the the Right and the Left. Some cynical critics claim the thank you was actually for political points for Pelosi and Democrats, not justice. Progressives are upset with her message because it diffuses their efforts to defund the police.

YouTube Comments

“She thanks George for giving her talking points and for giving her options for creating policy, plain and simple. She cares nothing for anyone or thing outside her person bubble.”

— Chris Wilson

“Why is she thanking him like he’s in the occult or something? Who’s going to voluntarily sacrifice their own life to be a symbol for justice? Politicians are weird”

— K OnYuutube

She looks into the heavens and cries “Thank you George Floyd for your sacrifice” as if he’s the progressive Jesus Christ. Honestly grotesque, the spin and politics around this. These people basically pointed a gun at the country and the jury promising another summer of violence if they didn’t make the right decision (sanctioned by Rep. Waters). Chauvin was certainly guilty on some of the charges if not all, but what a dangerous precedent to set for our justice system.

— Jake P

I’m sure George woke up that morning, like Jesus, expecting to sacrifice himself for a better world. Are you kidding? How can this woman be this tone deaf? These politicians, both left and right, are so wrapped up in their own comforting bubbles they are completely missing what the majority of America is feeling. At this point, YouTube votes are more of an indicator in American opinion than fancy, expensive polls. No wonder YouTube want to get rid of comments and ratings.

— Fiz Ban

“This is a farce and not about Floyd. He never asked for this and these people are using his death in an transparently psychopathic manner. Shame on the idiots that buy this.”

— Dr. Wagner

Pelosi says thank you George for dying. Now AOC is saying that this verdict is not enough. They need to keep racism alive to stay in power. Unity is the last thing the Democrats want.

— Doyle Hargraves 2007

ENTIRE PELOSI STATEMENT BELOW ADS

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Entire Statement from Official Speaker.gov

Pelosi Remarks at Press Event Following the Derek Chauvin Murder Trial Verdict
April 20, 2021
Press Release

Washington, D.C. – Speaker Nancy Pelosi joined the Congressional Black Caucus at a press event following the verdict of the Derek Chauvin murder trial­. Below are the Speaker’s remarks:

Speaker Pelosi. Thank you very much, Madam Chair. As you probably know, there are many honors that are afforded to a Member of Congress, and certainly many more to the Speaker of the House. But nothing surpasses the honor of being with the Black Caucus today, when we have seen a step in the right direction for justice done.

Earlier, around three o’clock, I spoke to the family to say to them, ‘Thank you, God bless you, for your grace and your dignity, for the model that you are, appealing for justice in the most dignified way.’ They are in search of justice then, and now they see this giant step. But as our colleagues have said, it’s not over.

They complimented the Congressional Black Caucus for its role that it has played in all of this. They’re eager to see Karen Bass’ George Floyd Justice in Policing Act passed and signed by the President into law.

All of them – well, Philonise has, you know, become a star. Rodney and Terrence, the brothers. Bridgett is their sister. We all know Ketta, who is a force of nature within the family. Gianna, the little girl, his daughter, Gianna, to see this justice on behalf of her father. His name synonymous with justice and dignity and grace and prayerfulness – and prayerfulness. So, we thank God. We thank Jesus because we were praying to him all along. Right, darling? Praying? We thank God. They are people of faith. They conveyed that to me on the phone, but they’ve conveyed it all along.

So, as we – eight weeks, according to what the judge said on this before, we know the sentencing, but that’s part of the justice of it all, as well.

Mr. Clyburn has been a solid, steady, steady force for all of us here. Because this is there – this was traumatic. My little granddaughter, who just turned twelve, she said, ‘Why is it taking so long?’ Well, it didn’t take that long, but – ‘We all saw it on TV. We saw it happen.’ And thank God, the jury validated what we saw, what we saw.

So, again, thank you George Floyd for sacrificing your life for justice. For being there to call out to your mom. How heart-breaking was that? To call out to your mom, ‘I can’t breathe.’ But because of you – and because of thousands, millions of people around the world who came out for justice – your name will always be synonymous with justice. And now we have to make sure justice prevails in the sentencing. But that’s, you know, that’s its own procedure.

Our responsibility is to make sure that Karen Bass, who has been so open to justice, with the bill that she put together, she wrote – and now trying to find areas of agreement in the Senate. Because unless we can change the law, this will be an episode. We change the law, we’re going down a different path altogether.

So thank you, Madam Chair Beatty, for your great leadership in all of this, for being a steady voice, for keeping some of us who just were calling constantly, ‘Did you hear anything?’ or whatever, in a place where we could follow the lead of the family: grace, dignity, prayerfulness, but having a rage for justice, which is what we all have.

With that, I yield back to the distinguished Chair of the Congressional Black Caucus, and let’s hear it for the Congressional Black Caucus. That’s an applause line.

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