MILWAUKEE (AP) — Milwaukee County Sheriff David Clarke has risen to the national political spotlight with a brash, unapologetic personality reminiscent of President Donald Trump.

The tough-talking, cowboy-hat wearing lawman has some Republicans swooning over his prospects for higher office, but Clarke remains one of the most polarizing figures in Wisconsin politics.

His political profile is on the rise at a time when he’s facing the most scrutiny he’s seen since he took office in 2002. Four people died last year at the jail he oversees, including the newborn of an inmate who is now suing. The Milwaukee County District Attorney’s Office is reviewing another of the deaths.

That scrutiny hasn’t stopped supporters from urging him to challenge Sen. Tammy Baldwin in 2018, and he’s been mentioned as a possible candidate for Trump’s administration.