As Hurricane Harvey hit Texas on Friday night, the White House decided to release details that they hoped would get lost in the news coverage. One bit of information was Donald Trump's decision to pardon former Arizona Sheriff Joe Arpaio, which didn't go over well with many.

McCain on Trump

During the 2016 presidential election, Donald Trump was able to bring on board a long list of controversial supporters who endorsed his candidacy. Whether it was the former half-term governor of Alaska in Sarah Palin, or outside supporters like former KKK Grand Wizard David Duke, the former host of "The Apprentice" gained support from a wide range of individuals.

One name that supported Trump on the campaign trail was Joe Arpaio who made a name for himself as a sheriff in Arizona who took a questionable hard-line approach on the issue of immigration. Due to Trump's stance on the issue, starting with his remarks about illegal immigrants from Mexico being "rapists" and "murderers," it didn't come as a surprise for Arpaio to stand by his side. However, last month a federal judge found Arpaio guilty of criminal contempt for allegedly racially profiling those who appear to be in the country illegally. On Friday night, the White House revealed that Trump has decided to pardon the former sheriff which instantly caused backlash. As reported by Mediaite on August 26, Sen.

John McCain was not pleased.

In a statement released late Friday night, Arizona Sen. John McCain made it clear he is not happy with Donald Trump's decision.

"No one is above the law and the individuals entrusted with the privilege of being sworn law officers should always seek to be beyond reproach in their commitment," McCain wrote. The senator then ripped into Trump, saying his pardon "undermines his claim for the respect of rule of law."

Fellow Arizona senator and Republican Jeff Flake made similar remarks, but took a more relaxed tone on Twitter.

"Regarding the Arpaio pardon, I would have preferred that the President honor the judicial process and let it take its course," Flake tweeted out.

Trump's response

After the news broke of Donald Trump's pardon of Joe Arpaio, the president took to Twitter to elaborate further. "I am pleased to inform you that I have just granted a full Pardon to 85 year old American patriot Sheriff Joe Arpaio," Trump tweeted, before adding, "He kept Arizona safe!"

Next up

While Donald Trump and his core supporters appear pleased with his decision, the negative attention quickly went viral on social media. As the president struggles to keep his administration moving forward, Trump's approval rating is down to just 35 percent in the most recent round of polling.
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