Article snippet: President Joe Arpaio during a campaign rally in Phoenix on Tuesday evening. The White House had said the pardon would not come on Tuesday afternoon, but that didn't stop Trump from bringing up Arpaio's name during the rally. Trump asked the crowd if Arpaio was convicted for doing his job, which was met with a resounding "Yes" and chants of "Pardon Joe." Trump said the sheriff would be "just fine," and reiterated what the White House had said earlier -- that he wouldn't pardon Arpaio Tuesday night -- because he didn't want to cause any "controversy." White House Press Secretary Sarah Sanders had told reporters while Trump was leaving for Arizona that the pardon would not come. "There will no discussion of that today and no action will be taken on that at any point today," said Sanders during a gaggle with reporters aboard Air Force One on the way to Arizona with Trump. Arpaio faces up to six months in prison after being found guilty of criminal contempt in July, stemming from his disregard of an order that he cease detaining suspected illegal immigrants. The former sheriff became a national figure for his hardline approach to combatting undocumented persons living and moving within his jurisdiction. Speculation that the president would use the occasion of the rally -- which took place in Maricopa County where Arpaio served as sheriff -- arose from comments Trump made in an interview with Fox News earlier in August. "I am seriously considering a pardon ... Link to the full article to read more