Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey Honors George Floyd, Mentions Memorial Day Only After Breitbart Inquiry

Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey (D-MN) initially used Memorial Day morning to memorialize George Floyd before later posting about fallen U.S. service members after Breitbart News asked his office for comment.

Frey wrote Monday on X at 9:03 a.m. Central Time:

“Today, we remember George Floyd, who was murdered by a former Minneapolis police officer six years ago.

That moment changed our city forever.”

Frey continued:

“It forced Minneapolis to confront painful truths about race, policing, inequity, and trust — and demanded hard conversations and accountability.

Since Floyd’s murder, our city has been challenged not just to say we’ve changed, but to prove it.”

He added:

“We’ve worked hard to reform policing, strengthen our department, and rebuild trust with neighbors – while knowing there is still more work ahead.

This anniversary also comes as reconstruction begins at George Floyd Square and work continues on the People’s Way.”

Frey also wrote:

“We are committed to honoring this place both as a memorial with global significance and as a neighborhood where people live, work, gather, and heal.

The work ahead is bigger than any one moment or administration.”

He concluded:

“The weight of what happened is still with our city six years later — and the responsibility to keep moving forward together is too.

I know we can keep building a Minneapolis that is safer, more accountable, and more worthy of the people who call it home.”

Frey’s post came on Memorial Day, the federal holiday set aside to remember U.S. military personnel who died in service to the nation. Breitbart News asked Frey and his office for comment at 10:25 a.m. Central Time on his official X account’s prioritization of a George Floyd post over a Memorial Day message. 

At 11:38 a.m., Frey posted a Memorial Day message, writing, “Memorial Day is a time to remember the brave service members who gave their lives for our country and the freedoms we enjoy today. We owe them — and the families who carry their memory forward — our deepest gratitude.”

At 11:41 a.m., Frey communications director Ally Peters responded to Breitbart News, “The mayor has also posted on his social accounts for Memorial Day. Thanks.”

Thus, the sequence showed Frey posting first about Floyd, then posting about Memorial Day after Breitbart News asked his office about his decision to post a Floyd tribute before a Memorial Day message.

Other Minnesota Democrats had already posted Memorial Day messages earlier in the morning. Gov. Tim Walz posted at 8:55 a.m., “On Memorial Day, Minnesotans come together to remember the heroes who gave their lives for the freedoms and values that define our great nation.” Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) posted at 8:22 a.m., “On Memorial Day, we honor the brave men and women who made the ultimate sacrifice for our country.” Attorney General Keith Ellison posted at 8:03 a.m., “Today, we remember the brave Americans who made the ultimate sacrifice in service to our country.”

Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan’s personal account posted about Floyd at 9:11 a.m., writing, “George Floyd should be alive today. On the anniversary of his murder, our hearts break for his family and community. Nothing will bring George Floyd back to his loved ones — to his little girl, Gianna. But there is work left for all of us to do.” In a follow-up post, Flanagan wrote, “Today, I’m thinking about the collective fight for racial justice. In the last year, we have once again seen that Minnesotans are demanding change, and a world where everyone is valued, respected, and safe.” 

Her account later reposted a Memorial Day message from her official lieutenant governor account, which said, “On Memorial Day, we honor the sacrifice and bravery of the warriors who died in service of our country.”

Floyd died in Minneapolis police custody on May 25, 2020, after video showed then-officer Derek Chauvin restraining him with a knee on his neck while Floyd pleaded that he could not breathe. The following day, Frey said four officers involved in the restraint had been fired and said, “Being Black in America should not be a death sentence.”

During Chauvin’s trial, Chief Hennepin County Medical Examiner Dr. Andrew Baker testified that Floyd’s cause of death was listed as “cardiopulmonary arrest complicating law enforcement subdual, restraint, and neck compression,” while also testifying that heart disease and drugs were contributing factors. Baker said Floyd’s heart disease, history of hypertension, and the drugs in his system played a role; Floyd’s death certificate listed “arteriosclerotic and hypertensive heart disease,” “fentanyl intoxication,” and “recent methamphetamine use” as contributing conditions. Baker also said the police encounter was the main reason for Floyd’s death.

After Floyd’s death, Frey faced pressure from protesters who demanded he commit to defunding the Minneapolis Police Department. When Frey told a crowd, “I do not support abolishing the Minneapolis Police Department,” protesters booed him and chanted for him to leave, with one demonstrator shouting, “get the fuck outta here.” Frey had said the department needed “structural reforms” and that a “systemic, racist system needs to be revamped,” but he refused to support abolishing the Minneapolis Police Department.

The unrest that followed Floyd’s death also caused widespread damage in Minneapolis. Frey later sought state and federal aid to help rebuild the city, with damage estimates beginning at $55 million and expected to rise. Frey said at the time that Minneapolis was “recovering from crises sandwiched on top of each other, from COVID-19 to the police killing and then the looting which took place afterward,” and said the total damage across the Twin Cities could reach the “tens, if not hundreds of millions” of dollars.

Frey also attended Floyd’s memorial service in June 2020, where he knelt beside Floyd’s golden casket while wearing a mask and appeared to cry, placing his hand on the casket as his head trembled. 

Frey’s Memorial Day thread contrasted with the first posts of the day from President Donald Trump and members of his Cabinet who observed the holiday by honoring U.S. service members who died in defense of the nation. Trump wrote, “Happy Memorial Day to all, including the Dumocrats, who disrespect our Military and all of the tremendous success that it has had over the last year. God Bless those that have made the ultimate sacrifice. I love you all! President DONALD J. TRUMP.”