Trump: I Pardoned Joe Arpaio During the Hurricane Because ‘I Assumed the Ratings Would Be Far Higher’
Ratings. Literally.
Asked why he pardoned “Sheriff” Joe Arpaio on Friday night during the middle of Hurricane Harvey, President Donald Trump told reporters he did so because he thought the ratings would be higher then.Â
Trump on Monday afternoon insisted “a lot of people” think pardoning Arpaio “was the right thing to do,” and added, “actually, in the middle of a hurricane, even though it was a Friday evening, I assumed the ratings would be far higher than they would be normally – you know, the hurricane was just starting.”
Pres. Trump: “I assumed the ratings would be far higher” for Arpaio pardon, despite approach of Hurricane #Harvey. https://t.co/Ih4gJ7lTCP pic.twitter.com/sUWCEr8hdM
— ABC News Politics (@ABCPolitics) August 28, 2017
It was a stunning admission by the president that he does, as everyone assumed, make announcements based on when he believes they will receive maximum attention.
The President went on to call Arpaio a “patriot” who “loves our country” and “protected our borders.” He also claimed (falsely) that Arpaio was treated “unfairly by the Obama administration.”
On Friday, after Trump pardoned Arpaio, a local Arizona newspaper that has been covering the Maricopa County Sheriff posted a series of tweets detailing some of Arpaio’s many offenses. Among them, the Phoenix New Times said: “He ran a jail that he described as a ‘concentration camp,'” and “his fondness for racial profiling had cost the county more $44 million.”
Some responses to Trump’s ratings” remarks:
Trump seems be handling the transition from Reality TV star to Commander-in-Chief about as well as we expected https://t.co/Aszcw9YJgE
— Dan Pfeiffer (@danpfeiffer) August 28, 2017
Whether tongue in cheek or serious, fairly remarkable statement in face of suffering in Texas right now https://t.co/qe2mx5ygEI
— Jim Sciutto (@jimsciutto) August 28, 2017
Trump says he chose hurricane time to pardon a sadistic sheriff who ran concentration camps because the ratings would be high
— Sarah Kendzior (@sarahkendzior) August 28, 2017
Trump just bragged that he pardoned Arpaio during Hurricane Harvey to draft off the “high ratings” he knew a national tragedy would bring.
— Seth Abramson (@SethAbramson) August 28, 2017
People died in Airpaio’s concentration camp. People are dying in Houston. Trump cares about ratings. #notfit https://t.co/ZEeUAA19BK
— kelly (@kllysmmns1) August 28, 2017
If Trump wants ratings he should hold a press conference to resign.
Everyone will watch and have after parties!
— Tony Posnanski (@tonyposnanski) August 28, 2017
Trump thought the “ratings would be higher.” This isn’t a TV show. #cantmakethisstuffup https://t.co/2QHZkLZW0l
— AFT Kansas (@AFTkansas) August 28, 2017
Trump confirmed today that he deliberately issued Arpaio pardon when there would be “higher ratings” due to hurricane. He is a sociopath.
— Josh Cannon (@joshcan) August 28, 2017
RELATED STORIES:
Trump Asked Sessions About Dropping Arpaio Case, was ‘Gung-Ho’ About Pardon if Needed
‘Presidential Endorsement of Racism’: Trump Faces Bipartisan Condemnation for Joe Arpaio Pardon
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