Donald Trump will be joined by Arizona Sheriff Joe Arpaio Tuesday afternoon at a campaign rally in Marshalltown, Iowa, where Arpaio is expected to endorse the billionaire’s White House bid.
“I have great respect for Sheriff Arpaio … I thank him for his support of my policies and candidacy for president,” Trump said Tuesday in a statement to The New York Times.
Arpaio has been a vocal critic of thea Obama administration over the years and closely aligns himself with hardliners like Trump on the issue of illegal immigration. The Maricopa County sheriff, who describes himself as “America’s toughest sheriff,” has previously said he’s happy to give illegal immigrants in Arizona “a free ride to [his] jail.”
“Donald Trump is a leader. He produces results and is ready to get tough in order to protect American jobs and families,” Arpaio told the Times. “I have fought on the front lines to prevent illegal immigration, and I know Donald Trump will stand with me and countless Americans to secure our border. I am proud to support him as the best candidate for president of the United States of America.”
Arpaio previously joined Trump on the trail in Arizona when the Republican front-runner held a campaign rally there in mid-July, but didn’t offer an endorsement at that time.
