Robyn Beck/AFP/Getty Images(WASHINGTON) — Criticism of President Donald Trump’s pardon of controversial former Sheriff Joe Arpaio is growing, with figures as different as former Vice President Joe Biden and Republican Speaker of the House Paul Ryan weighing in.
Trump pardoned the former sheriff of Maricopa County, Arizona, on Friday night for his conviction on criminal contempt of a federal court order that he stop detaining people based on their immigration status. Arpaio’s long record also included housing some prisoners in an outdoor “tent city” where temperatures reached the triple digits and using chain gangs.
Democrat Biden said Trump’s pardon of Arpaio shows “the truth of this president.”
“He won’t stop,” Biden wrote in an opinion piece on Sunday in The Atlantic. “His contempt for the U.S. Constitution and willingness to divide this nation knows no bounds.”
“Now he’s pardoned a law-enforcement official who terrorized the Latino community, violated its constitutional rights, defied a federal court order to stop and ran a prison system so rife with torture and abuse he himself called it a ‘concentration camp,’ ” the former vice president wrote.
House Speaker Ryan, a Wisconsin Republican, expressed his disagreement through a spokesman and with milder language than Biden.
“Law enforcement officials have a special responsibility to respect the rights of everyone in the United States,” Ryan spokesman Doug Andres said in the statement. “We should not allow anyone to believe that responsibility is diminished by this pardon.”
Following the pardon, The Washington Post on Saturday reported, citing unnamed sources, that the president asked Attorney General Jeff Sessions this past spring whether he would drop the federal case against Arpaio. Sessions told Trump it would be inappropriate for him to interfere in the federal case against Arpaio, according to the newspaper.
White House press secretary Sarah Sanders did not outright deny that the pair had a conversation about Arpaio. “It’s only natural the president would have a discussion with administration lawyers about legal matters,” she said on Saturday. “This case would be no different.”
As for lawmakers’ reactions, Arizona’s two Republican U.S. senators and the chairman of the Texas Federation of Hispanic Republicans slammed Trump’s pardon of Arpaio, while others in the party largely remained silent on the matter into the weekend.
Here’s a look at some reaction to the pardon.
Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz.
.@POTUS‘s pardon of Joe Arpaio, who illegally profiled Latinos, undermines his claim for the respect of rule of law https://t.co/2FckGtwQ2m
— John McCain (@SenJohnMcCain) August 26, 2017
Sen. Jeff Flake, R-Ariz.
Regarding the Arpaio pardon, I would have preferred that the President honor the judicial process and let it take its course.
— Jeff Flake (@JeffFlake) August 26, 2017
Artemio Temo Muniz, chair of the Texas Federation of Hispanic Republicans
Beyond disgusted, Arpaio=Amnesty now a reality. Conservatives who claim rule of law are #fakenews #gop #rnc #tcot #trump #latinogop
— Artemio Temo Muniz (@TemoMuniz) August 26, 2017
Phoenix Mayor Greg Stanton
“Pardoning Joe Arpaio is a slap in the face to the people of Maricopa County, especially the Latino community and those he victimized as he systematically and illegally violated their civil rights,” Stanton said.
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y.
As millions of people in TX and LA are prepping for the hurricane, the President is using the cover of the storm to 1/
— Chuck Schumer (@SenSchumer) August 26, 2017
Pardon a man who violated a court’s order to stop discriminating against Latinos and 2/
— Chuck Schumer (@SenSchumer) August 26, 2017
The New York senator accused Trump of deliberately making the controversial move at a time when the nation was focused on Hurricane Harvey.
Sen. Al Franken, D-Minn.
Presidential pardons should not be rewards for bad behavior and discrimination. Granting a pardon to Joe Arpaio is shameful and appalling.
— Sen. Al Franken (@SenFranken) August 26, 2017
Rep. Raul Grijalva, D-Ariz.
If @realDonaldTrump can pardon a man who so blatantly violated the Constitution, what is left to protect us?
— Raul M. Grijalva (@RepRaulGrijalva) August 26, 2017
Mexican American Legal Defense Fund
The Mexican American Legal Defense Fund, known as MALDEF, a leading Latino advocacy organization, called the pardon of Arpaio “a craven and gratuitous abuse of presidential power.”
“The Latino community will remember this Friday-night torchlight pardon — in history and at the next election,” the MALDEF statement said.
American Civil Liberties Union
“With his pardon of Arpaio, Trump has chosen lawlessness over justice, division over unity, hurt over healing. Once again, the president has acted in support of illegal, failed immigration enforcement practices that target people of color and have been struck down by the courts. His pardon of Arpaio is a presidential endorsement of racism,” said Deputy Legal Director Cecilia Wang.
NAACP
Pardon of Arpaio is explicit embrace of the racist policing practices that leave communities fearful of very ppl who should protect & serve.
— NAACP (@NAACP) August 26, 2017
Rep. Andy Biggs, R-Ariz.
I applaud @POTUS @realDonaldTrump for his pardon of @RealSheriffJoe, bringing justice to this political witch hunt: https://t.co/8UKe1qE6a9
— Rep Andy Biggs (@RepAndyBiggsAZ) August 26, 2017
Rep. Trent Franks, R-Ariz.
The president did the right thing — Joe Arpaio lived an honorable life serving our country, and he deserves an honorable retirement.
— Rep. Trent Franks (@RepTrentFranks) August 26, 2017
Rep. Paul Gosar, R-Ariz.
Just received word that Sheriff Joe Arpaio won a pardon from @POTUS. The Rule of Law still stands.
— Rep. Paul Gosar, DDS (@RepGosar) August 26, 2017
Kelli Ward, candidate for 2018 Arizona Republican U.S. Senate primary
Thank you, @realDonaldTrump so glad you #pardoned @RealSheriffJoe – a patriot who did the job the Feds refused to do #StopIllegalImmigration pic.twitter.com/RlNm0Hr3b9
— Dr. Kelli Ward (@kelliwardaz) August 26, 2017
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