Sen. Ted Cruz says Biden's comments on Chauvin trial supplied grounds for mistrial

Sen. Ted Cruz in a tweet on Tuesday said that President Joe Biden's comments about the Derek Chauvin trial gave grounds for a mistrial and a potential basis on appeal to challenge any guilty verdict.

"I'm praying the verdict is the right verdict," Biden said, noting that "it's overwhelming in my view." The president noted that he wouldn't have said that if the jury weren't already sequestered

"Joe Biden decides that Maxine Waters shouldn’t be the only politician foolishly providing grounds for a mistrial or a possible basis on appeal to challenge any guilty conviction," Cruz, a Texas Republican, tweeted.

Later on Tuesday the jury returned its verdict, finding Chauvin guilty of second-degree murder, third-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter.

Rep. Maxine Waters, a California Democrat, has faced criticism for comments she made over the weekend. 

"We're looking for a guilty verdict," the congresswoman said regarding the trial of Derek Chauvin in connection with the death of George Floyd last year, but if there is not a guilty verdict, "we cannot go away," she said.

When someone asked Waters what protestors should do if that does not occur, the congresswoman said "I didn't hear you," but then when asked what protesters should do, Waters said: "Well, we gotta stay on the street. And we've got to get more active. We've got to get more confrontational. We've got to make sure that they know that we mean business."

House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy introduced a resolution to censure Waters but the chamber on Tuesday voted on party lines to table a vote on the resolution.

While Judge Peter Cahill on Monday rejected a motion for a mistrial over Waters' comments, he said that the congresswoman may have provided the defense with "something on appeal that may result in this whole trial being overturned."