The most widely read newspaper in Arizona, the Arizona Republic, is out with an absolutely scorching op-ed on Donald Trump’s nearly unthinkable pardon of notorious racist Joe Arpaio, who was recently convicted for refusing a federal judge’s orders to cease his racial-profiling operations.
The editorial board of the Arizona Republic did not hold back:
His pardon of Joe Arpaio elevated the disgraced former Maricopa County sheriff to monument status among the immigration hardliners and nationalists in Trump’s base.
This erases any doubt about whether Trump meant to empower them after the violence in Charlottesville.
Harsh but accurate. Racists, xenophobes and white nationalists have consistently said they believe the president is on their side. They are not wrong. The editorial went further:
The pardon was a slap to those who worked through the judicial system to make Arpaio accountable, too. It robbed the people hurt by his policies of justice – even before a judge could mete out a sentence.
The pardon was a sign of pure contempt for every American who believes in justice, human dignity and the rule of law.
The editorial board finished by saying what we can all plainly see, institutional racism is a clear goal of the Trump administration:
But Trump spent last week demonstrating that he wants to be president of the few.
By pardoning Arpaio, Trump made it clear that institutional racism is not just OK with him. It is a goal.
You can read the full scorcher of an op-ed at azcentral.com.