Showing he’s a man of his word, 71-year-old President Donald Trump pardoned 85-year-old former Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Apaio August 25 . Arpaio, who led Trump’s border security message during the 2016 campaign, was convicted of criminal contempt by U.S. District Court Judge Susan Bolton July 31 for ignoring federal racial profiling guidelines. Appointed by former President Bill Clinton Oct. 13, 2000, Trump considered the conviction a political hit, promptly remedying the situation with a presidential pardon. Arpaio faced the indignity of up to six months in federal prison for the misdemeanor conviction. Acknowledging his gratitude to Trump, Arpaio said he would do anything asked of him by the Trump administration. It’s doubtful that Trump would hire the octogenarian, even though the two bonded like brothers on the 2016 campaign trail.
Arpaio’s conviction for criminal contempt didn’t pass the smell test, despite left-wing protests that Sheriff Joe was a racist much like Trump. Pardoning Sheriff Joe was condemned by Democrats and Republicans alike, insisting the pardon proved Trump’s a racist. Caught between a rock-and-a-hard-place enforcing the Arizona-Mexico border, Arpaio earned a zero tolerance reputation for enforcing U.S. immigration laws. Arpaio’s critics consider him an anti-immigrant bigot, discriminating against the Latino immigrant population. Losing his re-election bid for Maricopa County Sheriff to Paul Penzone in 2016, Arpaoio left office Jan. 1. Legal experts debate whether Trump’s misdemeanor pardon threw the president’s pardon authority into chaos, since most pardons are reserved for convicted felons. Sen. John McCain (R-Az.), one of Trump’s biggest Capitol Hill critics, said Trump flouted the law.
Going after Arpaio was a favorite pastime for Latino-based civil rights groups, continuing to accuse Trump of racism, especially after the white supremacist brawl in Charlottesville, Va. Aug. 15. Left-leaning legal experts, including CNN’s Jeffrey Toobin, called Arpaio’s pardon a constitutional crisis. “I’m pretty certain . . . that this is not something that is going to threaten our constitutional order,” Homeland Security Secretary Tom Bossert told ABC’s “This Week” with George Sephanopoulos. Liberal media networks, like ABC, CBS, NBC, CNN and MSNBC all whip a national hysteria over Trump’s responses to Charlottesville. Refusing to publish Trump’s condemnations of hate groups, including the KKK, neo-Nazis and white nationalists, the liberal press has a field day calling Trump a racist, despite his forceful denunciations of all white nationalist groups.
Focusing on the Arpaio pardon whips the same anti-Trump groups into a frenzy, insisting pardoning Arpaio proved the president’s racism. Trump made clear he pardoned Arpaio because it looked like he was victim to liberal judicial bias. Trump’s pardon “undermines his claim for the respect of the rule of law,” said McCain, forgetting his role in the 1991 Keating Five scandal, taking gifts and payments from Charles Keating, Chairman and CEO of Arizona-based Lincoln Savings and Loan at the height of the Savings and Loan collapse. Trump’s pardon of Arpaio was small potatoes compared to McCain’s ethical lapses. Legal experts said Trump didn’t follow Justice Department guidelines for granting presidential pardons. “Good conduct for a substantial period of time after conviction and service of sentence,” including at least five years after conviction or release before requesting a pardon.
Given Arpaio’s misdemeanor conviction, Trump figured he’d spare the former lawman the indignity at 85-year-of-age of doing time. Ranting about Arpaio, the media fears that Trump looks poised to end the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals [DACA] programs authorized by former President Barack Obama June 1, 2012. Pro-immigrant groups back the DACA program, opposing any attempt by Trump to reverse Obama’s policy. Spending time criticizing Arpaio’s pardon, liberal groups have done their utmost to paint Trump as a racist, citing the media’s biased response to Trump’s statements on Charlottesville. Arpaio’s unshakable response to undocumented workers drew criticism from pro-immigrant groups, trying to paint Trump as a bigot. Blaming Arpaio for harsh conditions in Maricopa jail continues the narrative that that he flouted federal law, dealing harshly with illegal immigrants.
Arpaio isn’t likely at age 85 to get a position in the Trump administration. His loyalty to Trump shows no signs of letting up. “He’s a great guy and I’m with him and will always be with him. I’m sad what they’re [the press] is doing to him. It’s sad,” said Arpaio, watching the liberal press savage Trump in broadcast and print. Whatever Arpaio did wrong as Maricopa County Sheriff, Trump found only good in his intolerance for illegal aliens. Arpaio earned his share of enemies in the press and civil rights groups, hoping to protect Arizona citizens from the unintended consequences of illegal immigration. Trump’s pardon shows his loyalty to Arpaio as a good soldier in the 2016 campaign. Trump acted promptly to spare Arpaio the indignity of serving time for his July 31 misdemeanor contempt conviction. Arpaio never wavered in his loyalty to Trump and fight against illegal immigration.
