Sen. Jeff Flake Jeffrey (Jeff) Lane FlakeJeff Flake: Republicans 'should hold the same position' on SCOTUS vacancy as 2016 Republican former Michigan governor says he's voting for Biden Maybe they just don't like cowboys: The president is successful, some just don't like his style MORE (R-Ariz.) criticized President Trump's decision to pardon former Maricopa County, Ariz., Sheriff Joe Arpaio on Friday, saying he would have preferred that the president "honor" the legal process.

"Regarding the Arpaio pardon, I would have preferred that the President honor the judicial process and let it take its course," Flake wrote on Twitter.

Regarding the Arpaio pardon, I would have preferred that the President honor the judicial process and let it take its course. — Jeff Flake (@JeffFlake) August 26, 2017

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Flake's tweet comes after the president pardoned Arpaio, who had been convicted of criminal contempt in July for disobeying an order to stop detaining individuals suspected of being in the U.S. illegally.

The Arizona GOP senator is up for reelection in 2018 and recently published a book ripping Trump's role in the Republican Party.

The president has publicly attacked Flake over the past few weeks, most recently during a rally in Phoenix on Tuesday and on Twitter the following day.

Politico reported on Wednesday that Trump had also met with Flake's 2018 primary challengers.