Democrats lashed out at President Trump Donald John TrumpBubba Wallace to be driver of Michael Jordan, Denny Hamlin NASCAR team Graham: GOP will confirm Trump's Supreme Court nominee before the election Southwest Airlines, unions call for six-month extension of government aid MORE on Friday evening over his decision to pardon Joe Arpaio, the controversial former sheriff of Maricopa County, Ariz., as a huge storm barreled toward Texas.

Trump faced intense criticism for issuing the pardon hours before Hurricane Harvey was set to hit the Gulf Coast, potentially causing devastating damage as it brought massive wind and rain.

"Donald Trump just gave a free pass to his buddy Joe Arpaio, the nation’s most notorious agent of racism and bigotry, during a natural disaster that could hurt millions. That's not presidential, that's a coward,” Tom Perez, the chairman of the Democratic National Committee, said in a statement.

ADVERTISEMENT

“Sheriff Arpaio used racial profiling to tear apart immigrant families and devastate Latino communities. At the same time, he failed to investigate hundreds of crimes, including dozens of reported child molestations," he added.

Senate Minority Leader Charles Schumer Chuck SchumerJacobin editor: Primarying Schumer would force him to fight Trump's SCOTUS nominee CNN's Toobin: Democrats are 'wimps' who won't 'have the guts' to add Supreme Court seats Republican senator says plans to confirm justice before election 'completely consistent with the precedent' MORE (D-N.Y.) charged that Trump was "using the cover of the storm" to issue the pardon of Arpaio, a controversial sheriff convicted of criminal contempt after violating a court order and racially profiling Latinos.

"As millions of people in TX and LA are prepping for the hurricane, the President is using the cover of the storm to pardon a man who violated a court's order to stop discriminating against Latinos and ban courageous transgender men and women from serving our nation's Armed Forces. Then he ran to Camp David,” Schumer wrote in a series of tweets.

"The only reason to do these right now is to use the cover of Hurricane Harvey to avoid scrutiny. So sad, so weak," he added.

Pardon a man who violated a court's order to stop discriminating against Latinos and 2/ — Chuck Schumer (@SenSchumer) August 26, 2017

Ban courageous transgender men and women from serving our nation's Armed Forces. 3/ — Chuck Schumer (@SenSchumer) August 26, 2017

Then he ran to Camp David.



The only reason to do these right now is to use the cover of Hurricane Harvey to avoid scrutiny 4/ — Chuck Schumer (@SenSchumer) August 26, 2017

So sad, so weak. 5/5 — Chuck Schumer (@SenSchumer) August 26, 2017

Speculation had intensified this week that Trump would move to pardon Arpaio, who was an early backer of his presidential campaign.

Trump hinted at a campaign rally in Phoenix on Tuesday that he would pardon the former sheriff, though not at the rally. White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders said this week that he would make a decision at "the appropriate time."

The White House announced the pardon on Friday evening as most media turned to cover Hurricane Harvey, a Category 4 storm expected to bring large amounts of rain and wind to Texas and Louisiana.