The left-wing late-night hosts reacted to the conviction of former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin on Tuesday, who was found guilty on all three charges in the death of George Floyd.
Stephen Colbert, Jimmy Fallon, and James Corden chimed in, with Colbert saying while he’s pleased with the jury’s verdict he nonetheless believes “America still has a problem” with “systemic racism,” and that “the need for police reform remains.”
Stephen Colbert
CBS’s Late Show host Stephen Colbert described the verdict by stating “a jury in Minneapolis decided that it’s illegal for the police to murder people,” and “that black lives matter.”
“And it could easily have gone the other way,” Colbert added, before insisting the United States “does not have a great track record on this subject.”
“At least in this case, this man faces accountability,” Colbert continued. “But justice is a far more difficult goal. America still has a problem of over-policing and systemic racism. But hopefully, this is a step towards a future where police being held accountable for their actions isn’t headline material. And a hope that accountability today is a deterrent for tomorrow.”
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Jimmy Kimmel:
“After an emotional day on which three guilty verdicts were read in Minneapolis and United States, I think we’re all grateful it went the way that it did. In this case the jury made the correct decision, an unanimous decision which is a step in the right direction. And I hope the verdict itself brings comfort to the family of George Floyd and all those who mourned his death,” ABC’s Jimmy Kimmel said. “And I also want to say good luck in prison Derek, you’ll need it. That’s right i hope you’re there for a very long time.”
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Jimmy Fallon
“While this was a step in the right direction, there’s still a lot of work that needs to be done,” said Tonight Show host Jimmy Fallon. “Too often, justice isn’t served, and the need for police reform remains. We all must continue to call out injustice until things change for the better.”
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James Corden
“Real justice would be black Americans not having to live in fear of being stopped by police and killed, and surely that is a verdict that we need to work towards, and that can be the verdict that one day we can celebrate,” said The Late Late Show host James Corden.
You can follow Alana Mastrangelo on Facebook and Twitter at @ARmastrangelo, on Parler @alana, and on Instagram.
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