President Donald Trump Defends Pardon Of Sheriff Joe Arpaio 82817

President Trump defended pardoning controversial former Sheriff Joe Arpaio on Monday calling him a “patriot” who had been unjustly treated by former President Barack Obama’s Justice Department Speaking from the White House at a joint press conference with Finnish President Sauli Niinisto Trump read off a list of past pardons that presidents have taken heat for including Obama’s pardoning of Chelsea Manning and Oscar Lopez Rivera
Arpaio was charged with defying a court order telling him to stop ray profiling Latinos and Trump insinuated on Monday that Obama administration was trying to sink Arpaio’s reelection campaign for Sheriff “He lost in a fairly close election” Trump said “He wouldve won the election They just hammered him before the election I thought that was a very very unfair thing to do”

Trump was criticized for announcing the pardon late on Friday night as H bore down on the Texas Coast He said he made the announcement at that hour because he knew more people would be watching cable news

“I assumed the ratings would be far higher than normal with the hurricane just starting” Trump saidDuring a press conference with President Niinisto Of Finland President Donald Trump Stood By his parson of controversial Arizona Sheriff Joe Arpaio