During an interview with Chris Wallace on Fox News Sunday, Republican Senator Lindsey Graham insisted that systematic racism no longer exists in the United States, crediting the political successes of Barack Obama and Kamala Harris as his proof.
“We just elected a two-term African American president; the vice president is of African American and Indian descent. So our systems are not racist,” the South Carolina senator said. “America is not a racist country. Within every society, you have bad actors. The Chauvin trial was a just result.”
The comments arrive just a few days after Derek Chauvin was found guilty of murder in the death of George Floyd. Following the conviction of the former Minneapolis police officer, President Joe Biden said the killing of Floyd “ripped the blinders off for the whole world to see the systemic racism” that has become a “stain on our nation’s soul.”
Chauvin, who was found guilty on all three counts—second-degree unintentional murder, third-degree murder, and second-degree manslaughter—is now facing a combined sentence of 75 years behind bars. However, it’s reported that he will likely be hit with a 15-year prison sentence because he has no prior criminal record.
According to CNN, Chauvin is scheduled to be sentenced on June 16, a little over one year after Floyd was killed while in police custody.
