Minnesota GOP Honors Derek Chauvin Days After Anniversary of George Floyd Death

The Minnesota GOP is catching serious heat after delegates at the party's state convention held a moment of silence for Derek Chauvin -- the former Minneapolis cop convicted of murdering George Floyd.

According to multiple reports, convention proceedings kicked off Saturday morning with a 10-second moment of silence for Chauvin ... just days after the sixth anniversary of Floyd's death.

Chauvin, of course, was convicted in 2021 of murdering Floyd. Video showed Chauvin, a Minneapolis cop at the time, kneeling on Floyd's neck for more than nine minutes during a 2020 arrest. The footage sparked massive protests across the country, fueling calls for police reform and renewed scrutiny of racial justice issues in law enforcement.

The timing of the tribute raised plenty of eyebrows ... May 25 marked six years since Floyd's death.

Chauvin is currently serving concurrent federal and state prison sentences and isn't scheduled for release until 2037.

Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison blasted the gesture, saying he was "heartbroken and frankly shocked" that Republicans would honor Chauvin ... adding, "Minnesota's families -- all of them -- deserve better."

Rep. Jamie Long also slammed the moment of silence as "disgusting."

Despite multiple appeals, Chauvin's efforts to overturn his convictions have largely gone nowhere. The U.S. Supreme Court declined to hear his challenge to his state conviction in 2023 ... and he's still trying to undo his federal conviction.