04x23 - Presidential pardon of Joe Arpaio

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John: welcome,

Welcome, welcome

To "last week tonight."

I'm john oliver.

Thank you so much

For joining us.

Look, as we speak,

Hurricane irma is battering

Florida, and for coverage of

That, I cannot recommend

Strongly enough that you watch

Something else right now.

Because we have a lot

To catch up on.

We've been off for the last

Couple of weeks and have missed

A great deal of stories

From continuing tensions with

North korea to equifax's

Massive data breach

To me personally falling off

The taylor swift train.

Look what you made me do,

Taylor.

But we have to begin tonight

With president trump.

The eric trump of old people.

The president had an erratic

Week, even by his standards,

Best characterized by two

Big decisions.

On wednesday, he met with

Congressional leaders to hammer

Out a deal to raise the debt

Ceiling and fund the government.

Democrats wanted just

A three-month extension

To give them strategic leverage,

While republican leadership

Was understandably fiercely

Against that.

Republicans wanted

A long-term solution to avoid

Another bruising fight

In december.

But in the oval office, sitting

Down with leaders of both

Parties, the president sided

With the democrats.

That stunning image,

The president cutting a deal

With democrats and blindsiding

His own party.

John: yeah, that is

A surprising move, as you can

See from schumer's expression.

It's as if he's in the midst of

Saying "you...

Are not very smart, are ya,

Buddy?"

And the details of how

The negotiation unfolded are

Really striking, because three

Months was the democrats' first

Offer.

And trump just took it.

It was so shocking, republicans

Apparently froze in mid-smile.

Which must've been an unsettling

Sight, given that I will

Remind you this is what it looks

Like when mitch mcconnell

Smiles in real time.

It's creepy when it moves.

It's downright terrifying

When it freezes.

And before republicans could

Even try and salvage

The meeting, it was completely

Derailed.

At the height of a tense

Meeting, sources say,

First daughter ivanka trump

Entered the oval office to

Pitch her agenda on the child

Tax credit, throwing the meeting

Off-topic.

Republican leaders visibly

Annoyed by her presence.

John: you know, I believe

That's actually the name of

Ivanka's upcoming biography:

"Visibly annoyed by her

Presence: the ivanka trump

Story."

And that was far from the most

Uncomfortable moment involving

Ivanka this week, because at

A north dakota event later

That same day, he introduced her

Like this.

Come up, honey.

Should I bring ivanka up?

Come on up, honey.

She's so good.

She wanted to make the trip.

She said, "dad, can I go?"

She actually said, "daddy,

Can I go with you?"

I like that.

Right?

"Daddy, can I go with you?"

I said, "yes, you can."

John: oh.

His 35-year-old daughter

Clls him "daddy"

And he likes it.

That's one of those facts that

On some level, I already knew.

I just never wanted to have

Confirmed like, when someone

Airbnb's your place,

They ej*cul*te on literally

Everything, or "if I was there

For the manson murders,

I probably would have

Stabbed someone."

I am not good

With peer pressure.

It would have been so weird if I

Was the only one not stabbing.

I'd have probably

Had a quick s*ab.

And look, it's good that the

Government is getting funded.

And there was hurricane relief

Attached to the bill.

But nobody seems exactly sure

Why trump made this decision.

One senior republican aide

Told politico it was

"Mystifying", adding,

"Maybe it's about the wall?

I don't know.

None of it makes any sense."

Which really should have been

The slogan of trump's

Presidential campaign.

"Maybe it's about the wall?

I don't know.

None of it makes any sense."

And this was not the only big

Decision trump made this week

For less-than-clear reasons.

Because on tuesday, he took

A far more consequential step.

President trump is ending

Former president obama's

Signature immigration program.

The deferred action for

Childhood arrivals,

Known as daca, protects about



Who came to the u.s. As kids

From deportation.

John: yes, donald trump ended

Daca, which allowed him to both

k*ll an obama-era program

And pick on hundreds

Of thousands of immigrants.

Which, for trump, is really

k*lling two birds

With one stone.

Incidentally, his favorite

Childhood pastime.

"Mommy, I k*lled the fancy

Pigeons again!

I need a new batch."

Now, daca not only protects

Its recipients, or "dreamers,"

From deportation, it allows them

To work through

A renewable two-year permit.

It was a temporary measure

Implemented by

President obama, because

Congress had failed to pass

Immigration reform for over

A decade.

And whatever people's feelings

On other aspects of immigration,

They overwhelmingly believe

Dreamers should be allowed

To stay in the country.

The problem is that during

The campaign, trump promised his

Base not only that he would end

Daca but that he would deport

Its recipients.

Although beyond that, he didn't

Really seem to have much in the

Way of a concrete plan.

They have to go.

What if they have no place

To go?

We will work with them.

They have to go.

Chuck -- we either have

A country or we don't have

A country.

We will do it and we will

Expedite it so people

Can come back in.

It's still not clear.

Chuck, chuck, it will work

Out so well.

You'll be so happy.

In four years, you're going to

Be interviewing me and say,

"What a great job you've done,

President trump."

John: that is not a plan.

Saying "they have to go," but

Then they can maybe come back

In and then ending sounding like

He's trying to hypnotize

Chuck todd.

"It will work out so well.

You'll be so happy.

In four years, you're going to

Say, what a great job

You've don, president trump.

Now, when I snap my fingers,

You're going to wake up

And wet your pants."

Now, you would hope that now

He's in office, trump would've

Formulated a plan outlining

Exactly what he'd like to see

Happen regarding the dreamers.

But apparently,

As late as one hour before

The decision was to be

Announced,

Administration officials

Privately expressed concern

That mr. Trump might not fully

Grasp the details of the steps

He was about to take.

Which, again, is awful,

But something we all probably

Presumed anyway.

Like the fact that

Tom hanks's character in

"Cast away"

Absolutely f*cked wilson.

No doubt that happened.

And sure enough, the next day,

Trump seemed to be walking back

His decision, saying,

Congress now had six months

To legalize daca, and if they

Didn't, he would

"Revisit this issue."

So he's all over the place.

Dreamers have to go.

But maybe they can come back in.

Or maybe they don't have to go

At all.

And in the meantime, 800,000

People's lives are

In the balance.

And when asked on air force one

About these mixed signals,

He was still maddeningly vague

About anything resembling

A plan.

Chuck and nancy would like

To see something happen,

And so do i.

And I said, if we can get

Something to happen, we're going

To sign it, and we're gonna make

It -- we're gonna make a lot

Of happy people.

John: okay, listen:

Anytime trump

Says he's going to make people

Happy or that you're going

To be happy in the future,

That means he's got nothing,

And is trying to end

The conversation.

Remember that's how he shut down

Chuck todd on the plane.

And he doesn't just do it

With immigration.

He does it with everything.

Here's how he talked to business

Leaders about his plans

To change trade policy.

Wait until you see

What's up for you.

You are going to be so happy.

John: that is the tone

Of somebody who forgot to buy an

Anniversary gift and is stalling

For time.

"Wait until you see what's up

For you.

I'll be back in 45 minutes.

You're gonna be so happy."

He does this for everything.

Here are his promises for border

Safety, the middle east,

Steel tariffs, replacing

Obamacare,

And infrastructure.

We are going to make it

So that everybody is happy.

I think you're going to be

Very happy with the end result.

The steel folks are going to be

Very happy.

Millions of people will be

Happy.

Right now millions and millions

And millions of people that are

Unhappy.

You're gonna be so happy

With trump.

I think you already are.

John: okay, but in each

Of those cases, it's the way

You get to that feeling

That's important.

Laying out a government policy

That's just "you'll be so happy"

Is like naming a restaurant

"You're gonna be so full."

Okay, that's the goal, but how?

What am I filling myself with?

Is it asian fusion

Or wet cement?

I promise this happens all the

Time.

And in case you're wondering

What he does when people aren't

Happy, don't worry, he has

A solution for that.

Because remember that debt

Ceiling meeting, and how furious

Mitch mcconnell and paul ryan

Were?

This was trump

Later that same day.

And I'll tell you what,

We walked out of there --

Mitch and paul, and everybody,

Kevin -- and we walked out

And everybody was happy.

John: but no, they absolutely

Weren't!

Not mitch, not paul, not kevin!

None of them!

And trump may be able to fool

People by saying they'll be

Happy in the future, but we

Can't let him trick people into

Thinking they were happy

In the past.

In that way, it's actually

Weirdly ironic

That he's taking such a hard

Line against dreamers because

This guy is clearly

Out of his f*cking mind.

And now this.

Announcer: a look at

What the nfl will and will not

Tolerate.

Colin kaepernick is a

Free agent.

No team has signed him.

Many believe it's because he's

Too controversial.

There's a lot of baggage that

Comes with colin kaepernick.

If he is too controversial.

Meanwhile...

Suspended for one game

Following an arrest in january

For an incident involving him

Spitting on a nurse.

Violating the policy on

Performance enhancing

Substances.

Substances.

Dui.

Domestic v*olence.

Decode dwi.

He violated a substance abuse

Policy.

Bryant was suspended for the

First four games last season

While he was a member of the

Cleveland browns for pe v use.

He was suspended for three games

After he was claimed off

Waivers.

That was due to an arrest in



They would have a tough time

Signing somebody who protested

The american flag on the

National anthem.

I wouldn't want him on my team.

I wouldn't.

John: moving on.

Our main story tonight concerns

Presidential pardons.

The only genuine

Get-out-of-jail free card.

Pardons are one of the most

Powerful tools available

To a president, and they've been

Used controversially

In the past.

Bill clinton pardoned marc rich.

Gerald ford pardoned

Richard nixon.

And, as we've mentioned before,

Abraham lincoln once pardoned

A man for attempted bestiality.

It's true!

And in fairness,

This was the horse!

That's a pretty fuckable horse.

I'm not saying you should f*ck

It.

I'm just saying I wouldn't kick

It out of bed for eating apples.

The point is while we were away,

Donald trump issued his very

First pardon, and it was

A doozy.

A legal lightning bolt from

President trump late friday.

A presidential pardon

For arizona's controversial

Anti-illegal immigration

Hard-liner, sheriff joe arpaio.

John: that's right.

Donald trump pardoned

Joe arpaio, a man who answers

The question, "what if a russet

Potato somehow hated mexicans?"

Let's look at that decision.

Because if the president of the

United states is going to use

His very first pardon on

Someone, this early in his term,

It is worth looking at

Who joe arpaio is, and what

The implications of this

Decision may be.

And you've probably heard

Of joe arpaio before.

He has carefully cultivated

An image over 25 years

As a hard-nosed sheriff,

With unconventional methods,

That the media has lapped up.

Sheriff arpaio, who has been

Dubbed america's toughest

Sheriff.

America's toughest sheriff,

Joe arpaio.

He is known as america's

Toughest sheriff for his

Crackdowns on illegal

Immigration and petty crime.

He brags about making

Prisoners eat bologna sandwiches

So rotten the meat has turned

Green.

He makes his inmates

Wear pink.

He uses chain gangs.

Inmates are forced to wear

Striped prison garb

And pink underwear.

John: well, that is just

Awful.

The pink underwear is fine,

But no one should be forced

To wear horizontal stripes.

They widen the silhouette!

That's a fashion fact.

Arpaio did not mind that

Coverage.

He actually welcomed it.

He loves being on camera

So much, he essentially spent

Years treating prisoners

As props for a reality show,

And sometimes literally.

He actually had a short-lived

Show called

"Smile, you're under arrest,"

Where people with outstanding

Warrants would be tricked into

Appearing on a set only to be

Pranked in the worst way

Possible.

Hey, yo, yo, yo,

I got one more surprise.

These two people are actually

Deputies of sheriff joe arpaio's

Office.

Take 'em down,

Take 'em down.

So dude, you gotta smile,

'Cause you're under arrest!

Oh!

For real!

For real!

Whoomp, there it is!

John: wait.

"Whoomp there it is."

For the record, even then,

That reference was 15 years old,

Which is a real wiggity-wack

Thing to do.

And tricking people into arrest

For your own amusement

Is a terrible idea

For a reality show.

The only worse idea

Is "not making

Peter the bachelor.

Look at that face.

Are you idiots?

Let me just say this.

Peter, if you're out there,

You are and shall ever remain

My bachelor.

#Peterismybachelor.

#Hesacatchelor.

Arpaio will do anything

For a camera.

And if you don't believe me,

Watch him sing his favorite

Song, which is of course

Frank sinatra's "my way,"

The universal anthem of assholes

Everywhere, for a documentary

Film crew.

♪ The record shows ♪

♪ I took the blows ♪

♪ And did it my way ♪

John: here's something

Interesting.

When frank sinatra heard that,

He actually climbed out of his

Grave, walked 400 miles

To arpaio's house,

Rang the doorbell,

And simply said, "no."

But what does "doing it arpaio's

Way" actually mean?

Because trump didn't just pardon

Him.

He touted arpaio's support

On the campaign trail,

Even having him speak

At the republican convention.

So trump clearly doesn't seem to

Have any real problem with

"Arpaio's way."

And for the record, it is far

More than just the eye-catching

Circus you've seen so far.

And many people were affected.

Maricopa county, where he was

The sheriff until just last

Year, contains over



That's a higher population

Than that of 24 states.

And conditions in his

Tent city weren't just

Eccentric, they were appalling.

Temperatures got to 140 degrees

Food was limited to two meals

A day.

And then there was this.

Chinese law enforcement

Officials drop in for some tips

From joe, who just brushed up

On his mandarin.

I hear china very tough

On criminal, correct, huh?

I'm asking them, "in china..."

Yes?

Do they put women...

On a chain g*ng?

No.

Ah, thank you.

I am still the first

In the world.

John: yes, he put women

On chain gangs.

So, I guess...

#Feminism?

It's a gray area.

And remember arpaio operates

Jails, not prisons, which are

Typically for people serving

Sentences of less than a year

Or even just awaiting trial.

Which is not to say any

Prisoners should be subjected

To some of arpaio's treatment.

At one point, he actually

Installed webcams in the jail,

One of which showed female

Inmates using the toilet,

Which wound up being linked to

By pornographic sites.

And while the cameras were

Pulled, the sheriff's office

Defended themselves, with their

Lawyer saying they did not show

The private parts of any

Inmates, and "no juveniles would

Have been displayed" unless

They "look older and lie to us."

And just spare a thought for the

Attorney who went through years

Of law school only to have

To tell a reporter,

"Don't worry.

The women we broadcast taking

A shit were probably

All adults."

And arpaio seemed routinely

Impervious to criticism

Of any of his tactics.

I have not received many

Negative comments, other than

The justice department or

Amnesty international or the

Civil liberties union.

John: yeah, joe, but those

Are the three key groups who

Might criticize you over

Mistreating prisoners.

So you just went three

For three.

You're not going to get

Complaints from

Carl's junior, the girl scouts,

And hootie and the blowfish.

That's not what those groups do.

Is it any wonder that, when

A reporter asked inmates whether

Arpaio had any nicknames,

One responded, "hitler,"

While another responded,

"Hitler."

That is a charge he's defended

Himself against by saying,

"My daughter has adopted

Children of various

Ethnicities...

I got a black, a mexican with

Down syndrome even.

And yet I'm the r*cist.

I'm the fascist.

I'm the hitler!"

And look, I'm not going to argue

With him there.

That's just sound logic.

That's why when you play

The board game

"Guess who's the hitler,"

The first things you ask to

Narrow it down are "do their

Daughter got a black?"

And "do their daughter got

A mexican with down syndrome

Even?"

Because if their daughter got

Those, they can't be the hitler!

It's right there in the rules!

And look, arpaio's jails weren't

Just tough and humiliating.

They were sometimes deadly.

Over the years, the county

Has paid out multiple

Large settlements to families of

Inmates who've died following

Incidents in his facilities,

Including over $8 million

To the family of scott norberg,

Who died in custody after being

Restrained, shocked,

And beaten by guards.

And when one officer tried to

Warn two other guards that

The inmate was in dire trouble,

Their response was chilling.

I told him that he was

Turning blue and/or purple.

I don't think he was breathing.

And he said "who gives a f*ck?"

After spidell responded

To you "who gives a f*ck?"

And you warned officer gurney,

What did mr. Gurney say?

They said, just,

"Who gives a shit?"

John: you can't see someone

Dying and say who gives a shit.

You can't even see some thing

Dying and say that.

With the sole exception

Of orchids.

Who gives a shit?

They're high maintenance

Little flower cucks

And they all deserve to die.

Now, I should tell you the u.s.

Justice department to declined

To prosecute the case.

And both arpaio and the officers

Insist they did nothing wrong.

In fact, arpaio was so

Unapologetic that both officer

"Who gives a f*ck" and officer

"Who gives a shit" were later

Promoted.

Presumably to lieutenant

"Whatever, assh*le" and sergeant

"Zero fucks given."

And that promotion sends

A pretty clear message

To arpaio's staff.

Almost as clear a message as

A president pardoning the man

Who oversaw all this.

And remember, arpaio wasn't just

In charge of jails.

He was also a law enforcement

Officer, and some of his actions

-- His respect for the law

Seemed awfully selective.

Over the years, his office

Repeatedly launched criminal

Cases against his perceived

Enemies, be they county

Officials or even judges.

Some of which were shockingly

Flimsy, with one being

Dismissed or thrown out.

One was so baseless it was cited

In the disbarment of the

Attorney who brought it with a

Member of the panel saying it

Was "nothing short of fumbling

With the law like children

Wielding a buzzing chainsaw."

Which is not only an amazing

Statement, it's also my favorite

Precious moments figurine.

And for "america's toughest

Sheriff," arpaio seemed to let

Certain crimes fall through

The cracks.

In 2011, it came out that

His department had failed

To properly investigate more

Than 400 sex crimes, some of

Which involved children.

And while arpaio eventually

Admitted to that, his apology

Left a lot to be desired.

If there were any victims out

There, I apologize to those

Victims.

If there were any.

John: hold on.

"If" there were any?

There were, we know that.

That is a casual indifference

To overlooking sex crimes

So egregious, I'm genuinely

Surprised there's not

A statue of arpaio

At penn state.

And amazingly, none of what

You've just seen -- not the

Conditions, not the deaths,

Not the baseless charges

Against his critics --

Has anything to do with why

He was convicted and needed

A pardon.

That stems from racial profiling

Which his department has been

Repeatedly accused of

Over the years.

And one huge investigation found

Some troubling details.

A three-year investigation

By the justice department found

What it called "unconstitutional

Policing" and a "pervasive

Culture of discriminatory bias

Against latinos," who are

Up to nine times more likely

Than whites to be stopped by

A maricopa county deputy.

In one incident cited in the

Federal report, a hispanic

Driver was incarcerated for 13

Days before his citation was

Dismissed for not using his turn

Signal.

John: think about that.



Signal infraction!

And that's in arizona, where

An old person driving with their

Turn signal on is literally

The state seal.

In 2011, arpaio's

Pattern of racial profiling

Resulted in this.

A federal court in phoenix

Has decided arizona authorities

Cannot arrest people suspected

Of being illegal immigrants

Solely because of their

Appearance.

If arpaio does not comply

With the court ruling,

Arpaio could ultimately be held

In contempt of court and face

Jail time.

John: you'll never guess

What happened.

Arpaio did not comply

With the court ruling.

In fact, over the next 18 months

His office detained at least



And turned them over

To immigration enforcement.

And last july,

A federal judge found arpaio

Guilty of criminal contempt.

And at that point,

He was a criminal.

He had committed and was

Convicted of a crime.

The thing that

The people he puts in tents

And pink underwear had done,

And which he felt meant they'd

Forfeited any right to complain.

He had done that.

And he hadn't even been

Sentenced before trump started

Hinting at a pardon

For an incredible reason.

Was sheriff joe convicted for

Doing his job?

That's what --

You know what?

I'll make a prediction.

I think he's going to be

Just fine.

Okay?

John: but here's the thing.

He absolutely wasn't just

Doing his job.

He was also doing something

Illegal.

You wouldn't say

John wayne gacy was "just doing

His job" even though he was,

By all accounts, a pretty good

Birthday clown.

It's the stuff he was doing

On top of that

That needed addressing.

And yet, I don't doubt trump

Thinks that everything

Joe arpaio did was or should be

Part of a law enforcement

Officer's job.

And that is the problem here.

That's why this pardon is a slap

In the face to latinos

That arpaio and his department

Unconstitutionally targeted.

And that's why it's a slap in

The face to the rule of law.

Because arpaio broke the rules

He was sworn to uphold,

Rules that are put in place

To protect citizens from a

Government going out of control.

And trump giving him a pass,

After everything you've seen

Tonight, and saying he was

"Just doing his job" is a loud

Confirmation that,

At least as far as this

White house is concerned,

For the next few years,

Law enforcement won't

Necessarily be expected to do

Their jobs the way the

Constitution or the courts

Say they should.

Instead, like sheriff

Joe arpaio, they should feel

Free to their job --

Oh, what's the term?

♪ My way ♪

John: and now this.

Announcer: I announced joe

Arpaio sings another song with

No sense of irony whatsoever.

♪ I'm gonna make it ♪

♪ To heaven ♪

♪ Light up the sky ♪

♪ Like a flame ♪

♪ I'm gonna live forever ♪

♪ Baby, remember my name ♪

♪ Fame ♪

♪ I'm gonna live forever ♪

John: finally tonight, a

Quick word

Regarding trains.

Or, as I call them,

"Ground planes."

You may remember, one of

Our recent "and now" segments

Concerned scranton,

Pennsylvania's wnep.

More specifically,

Their backyard train that runs

Behind their weather forecasters

All year 'round.

It's a charming feature of that

Newscast, and the people of

Scranton have a lot of opinions

About it, regularly calling in

During their "talk back"

Segment.

Talk back callers seem to be

Pretty much obsessed with the

Train and trolly in our

Backyard.

I would just like to know

Whose idea it was to put a train

In the backyard.

I'm calling about your train.

Whoo, wooo!

Keep the train rolling, baby!

Question: what is going on

With the train.

Why isn't it running?

It hasn't been running

In weeks.

Waah, waah, waah,

The train's not running.

I wish snedeker would put

A quarter-stick in that train

And blow it up.

John: whoa.

That level of emotional

Investment in a toy train set

Is usually only experienced by

Middle-aged dads who are

Divorced or about to get

Divorced.

Well, it turns out, the people

Of scranton saw our segment.

And the reason I know that is

This.

Our backyard train getting

Some national attention.

Some folks love it, some feel

It's at our area's expense.

You know what?

I just watched this john oliver

Train controversy.

This guy -- we're not -

We're not clowns for his

Entertainment.

I think this guy owes us

An apology here in ne pa.

John: hey, hey, hey!

First, let me be clear

I don't think the residents

Of scranton are "clowns

For my entertainment."

I don't think clowns are

For entertainment at all.

They're for m*rder threats,

Attempted m*rder

And actual m*rder.

That's it.

That's what clowns are for.

Please don't think that I was

Making fun of your backyard

Train.

I f*cking love that backyard

Train, and I also love how

Passionate you all are about it.

And if you don't believe me,

Let me prove it to you.

Because my only criticism of

Your train set is that I think

You deserve a better one,

A bigger one,

An almost irresponsibly

Large one.

And that's why --

And I hope you don't mind --

We have used hbo's resources

To make you something

Truly special.

Please come with me,

Because I have something to show

You that I'm pretty sure

You are going to like.

Scranton, look at this.

It's not the train set scranton

Needs, but it is the train set

It deserves.

This thing spins round and has

Every scranton landmark we could

Find on google.

It's all there.

The scranton sign, the electric

City building, multiple other

Scranton landmarks.

I know you have a waterfall,

That's why this thing

Has a f*cking waterfall as well.

There's three levels of trains.

There's the tunkannock viaduct,

The penn paper building from

"The office", that's right

There.

The times building

And radio tower, and, of course,

Of course, we wouldn't miss

The lackawanna station hotel

And coal mine tour.

It even has a train tunnel

In the shape of scranton's

Famous son, basketball coach

P.j. Carlesimo.

I mean, look at this beautiful

Thing, scranton!

We built it for you!

Seriously, this is yours now.

You need to come get it.

It can't stay here.

So, please wnep, call us to

Arrange pickup or delivery of

The greatest backyard train

That local news has ever seen.

Oh, that's right.

This thing also catches fire.

I forgot about that.

That's probably something

You should know.

That's our show tonight.

Thank you so much for watching.

We're off next week

Because of the emmys.

We'll see you in two weeks'

Time.

Good night!

It's yours, scranton.