To reemphasize a point I've made about Chelsea Manning: just because you can run for public office, doesn't make you fit to serve public office.

This logic cannot be applied more perfectly than for former Sheriff Joe Arpaio, who announced earlier this month his intention to run for the U.S. Senate seat in Arizona to replace Jeff Flake after he retires. In an interview on Friday with Ari Melber on MSNBC, Arpaio was asked about the presidential pardon he accepted from President Trump in August 2017 for his contempt of court misdemeanor conviction of not following court orders of wrongful detainment and imprisonment.

Arpaio responded, "The president – and I never asked for the pardon – pardoned me because he knew that this decision was wrong, and I appreciate that pardon."

Melber then proceeded, "As you know, when you take a pardon, you’re admitting guilt. Why did you take that pardon and admit guilt?"

"I didn’t admit guilt," Arpaio rebuffed. "I said I was not guilty, and I say it today."

It then got awkward from there as Melber had to explain to Arpaio that taking a presidential pardon as ruled by the Supreme Court is, by law, an admission of guilt.

The specific language in the Supreme Court case Burdick v. United States says, "There are substantial differences between legislative immunity and a pardon; the latter carries an imputation of guilt and acceptance of a confession of it, while the former is noncommittal, and tantamount to silence of the witness."

To put it plainly, Joe Arpaio, a former law enforcement officer, doesn't understand the law. And if he does know the law, he simply does not care. We've seen this plenty of times before. Those who once had power will do anything to try to attain it again and have it not based on merit. Arpaio's brazen ignorance of the law is not only unbecoming of a former law enforcement officer, but someone who's wanting to write the law.

This idea of draining the swamp has become such a pipe dream for Trump supporters that they're willing to send whomever to Washington, regardless of qualifications, integrity, or intent. Trump supporters and Republicans should draw a line in the sand somewhere, or risk further alienating moderate and left-leaning voters to join their cause.

Siraj Hashmi is a commentary video editor and writer for the Washington Examiner.