Trump Could Shatter Norms by Pardoning Arpaio

There’s been lots of talk about whether President Donald Trump could, and would, grant a pardon to himself if the need ever arose. At least for a day, the possibility of a Trump pardon is focusing on someone else: Joe Arpaio, the former Arizona sheriff famous in some quarters and infamous in others for his aggressive enforcement of immigration laws by methods including racial profiling. Now 85, and voted out of office last November, Arpaio stands convicted of criminal contempt of court and faces sentencing in October. Though the U.S. president has wide latitude to grant clemency, a pardon of Arpaio at this point would be highly unusual.

Trump himself. He told Fox News that he’s "seriously considering" a pardon for Arpaio, who "has done a lot in the fight against illegal immigration" and is "a great American patriot."