(WTRF) — House Speaker Nancy Pelosi is facing backlash for thanking George Floyd for sacrificing his life for justice.
Pelosi made the comments at a Congressional Black Caucus news conference on Capitol Hill on Tuesday before former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin was convicted of Floyd’s murder.
“Thank you, George Floyd, for sacrificing your life for justice,” Pelosi said. “For being there to call out to your mom — How heartbreaking was that? — call out for your mom, ‘I can’t breathe.'”
She added, “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.”
On Tuesday evening after Chauvin’s conviction, Pelosi clarified her earlier remarks, tweeting, “George Floyd should be alive today. His family’s calls for justice for his murder were heard around the world. He did not die in vain.”
A 12-member jury in Hennepin County Court found Chauvin guilty Tuesday of all charges, including second-degree unintentional murder, third-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter in Floyd’s death on May 25, 2020.