Jake Tapper: The president wants to pardon Joe Arpaio, who pushed Trump's racist birther campaign

Tapper: Trump and Arpaio “once found common cause in their joint unfounded and not a little bit racist campaign to smear the first African-American president as having been born in Africa”

Written by Media Matters Staff

Published

From the August 23 edition of CNN's The Lead with Jake Tapper:

JAKE TAPPER (HOST): Arizona is also home to former Sheriff Joe Arpaio, with whom then-citizen Trump once found common cause in their joint unfounded and not-a-little-bit-racist campaign to smear the first African-American president as having been born in Africa, a charge for which, of course, there is no credible evidence.



Arpaio was found guilty last month of criminal attempt for disregarding a court order in a racial profiling case, but last night the president suggested he would pardon the former sheriff.

Previously:



How Fox promoted convicted criminal Joe Arpaio, who may be pardoned by Trump



Flashback: how Fox News promoted Trump's birtherism

CBS' John Dickerson: “Trump was the chief birther in America"