Reports: Trump asked Sessions to quash Arpaio case


President Trump asked Attorney General Jeff Sessions to drop the charges of criminal contempt of court against Joe Arpaio, the controversial former Arizona sheriff, before his case could reach a verdict, The Washington Post and The New York Times reported independently Saturday, citing unnamed White House sources. Sessions and Donald F. McGahn, the White House counsel, both advised Trump his request could not be granted, though he could exercise his pardon power.
White House Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders defended Trump's conversation with Sessions in comments to the Post. "It's only natural the president would have a discussion with administration lawyers about legal matters," she said. "This case would be no different."
Known for his hard-line immigration policy and mistreatment of prisoners, Arpaio was a staunch Trump campaign ally whose ties to the president date to the "birther" movement questioning former President Obama's legitimacy in office. Trump's Friday pardon of the former sheriff after his conviction but before his sentencing has attracted broad, bipartisan critique.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Bonnie Kristian was a deputy editor and acting editor-in-chief of TheWeek.com. She is a columnist at Christianity Today and author of Untrustworthy: The Knowledge Crisis Breaking Our Brains, Polluting Our Politics, and Corrupting Christian Community (forthcoming 2022) and A Flexible Faith: Rethinking What It Means to Follow Jesus Today (2018). Her writing has also appeared at Time Magazine, CNN, USA Today, Newsweek, the Los Angeles Times, and The American Conservative, among other outlets.
-
July 11 editorial cartoons
Cartoons Friday's political cartoons include Donald Trump and English lessons for Liberia, the MAGA weather forecast, Pete Hegseth, and the incredible disappearing Epstein files.
-
Quiz of The Week: 5 – 11 July
Have you been paying attention to The Week's news?
-
How many people are working illegally in the UK?
The Explainer Government vows 'nationwide blitz' on illicit workforce believed to number in the hundreds of thousands
-
Trump threatens Brazil with 50% tariffs
Speed Read He accused Brazil's current president of leading a 'witch hunt' against far-right former leader Jair Bolsonaro
-
AI scammer fakes Rubio messages to top officials
Speed Read The unknown individual mimicked Rubio in voice and text messages sent to multiple government officials
-
SCOTUS greenlights Trump's federal firings
speed read The Trump administration can conduct mass federal firings without Congress' permission, the Supreme Court ruled
-
New tariffs set on 14 trading partners
Speed Read A new slate of tariffs will begin August 1 on imports from Japan, South Korea, Thailand and more
-
Elon Musk launching 'America Party'
Speed Read The tech mogul promised to form a new political party if Trump's megabill passed Congress
-
Judge blocks Trump's asylum ban at US border
Speed Read The president violated federal law by shutting down the US-Mexico border to asylum seekers, said the ruling
-
Thai court suspends prime minister over leaked call
Speed Read Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra has been suspended, pending an ethics investigation
-
Senate passes GOP megabill after Alaska side deal
The pivotal yes vote came from Sen. Lisa Murkowski, whose support was secured following negotiated side deals for her home state Alaska