Month: August 2017

On Friday’s broadcast of MSNBC’s “All In,” Washington Post columnist Catherine Rampell argued President Trump’s pardon of former Maricopa County, AZ Sheriff Joe Arpaio (R) is an attack on the Constitution and the independence of the judiciary. Rampell said, “If there was any doubt in anyone’s mind that law and order was code for making it easier to harass people of color, this is confirmation. I would also point out that this is a direct attack on our Constitution and on the independence of our federal judiciary. You remember, there was a lot of concern during the campaign about the fact that he attacked a judge of Mexican descent, Judge Curiel, right? … This is so much worse. Because the crime that he is being pardoned for is effectively not following the Constitution. Because a judge determined what his officers were doing was harassment, was discrimination. He refused the court’s order. And this is Trump saying to the public, ‘You know what, I agree. We shouldn’t listen to what judges say.’” Follow Ian Hanchett on Twitter @IanHanchett

President Donald Trump pardoned Sheriff Joe Arpaio on Friday evening, citing his record of service to his country.

President Donald Trump pardoned Sheriff Joe Arpaio on Friday evening, citing his record of service to his country.

On Friday’s broadcast of MSNBC’s “Hardball,” former Senator Barbara Boxer (D-CA) stated that President Trump is giving cover to hate groups and her political action committee will take on people giving him cover. Boxer said, “You know, each person’s going to follow his or her conscience. And I have to say, if I was standing there, and I heard the president give cover to hate groups, to white supremacists, to Nazis, as an American, and I happen to be a Jewish American, I would have gotten probably out of the TV shot. I would have thought deeply. I would have prepared something to say. … Look, better late than never, and next to Steve Mnuchin he [Gary Cohn] looks like a profile in courage. But the truth is, we cannot be silent. we’ve lived through that before as Jews, and you must speak up. You must.” Boxer also stated that President Trump is “not normal.” And she has “never seen a president give cover to hate groups.” She added, “I’m acting to go after the politicians who are sitting silently by, and I am volunteering for my political action committee. … We’re taking on these guys who are sitting there and rolling