Joe Arpaio says Trump among ‘greatest’ presidents after getting ‘tough to turn down’ pardon

In an interview with the Wall Street Journal, recently pardoned Joe Arpaio praised President Donald Trump for getting him out of a likely jail term, while darkly warning that Arizona Senator John McCain (R) is deserving of some "payback" for criticizing the presidential intervention.

According to the former sheriff who was sentenced to jail by a federal judge for criminal contempt of court, Trump is a "great guy" and Republicans lawmakers who criticized the pardon need to quiet down and back the president.

“They’re trying to go after the president,” Mr. Arpaio said in the Sunday interview. “He’s a great guy and I’m with him and will always be with him. I’m sad what they’re doing to him. It’s sad.”

Arpaio took a few shots at high profile Republicans who came out strongly against the pardon, saying of McCain, “It’s probably payback time,” and lecturing House Majority Leader Paul Ryan (R-WI), that he needs to "get on board and support our president.”

The 85-year-old Arpaio claims he never asked for the pardon and that he has no plans to join the Trump administration, but he left the door open to a job offer.

“It’s tough to turn down a president of the United States when they need you,” he explained. “I may not turn down this president because I’d probably do anything for him.”

You can read the whole interview with Arpaio here.