THE DARK HISTORY OF: Peter Navarro
Trumps Tariff King: American “economist” who has been the senior counselor for trade and manufacturing to U.S. president Donald Trump since January 2025. He previously served in the first Trump administration, first as the director of the White House National Trade Council, then as the director of the new Office of Trade and Manufacturing Policy.
⚖️ 1. Contempt of Congress & Jan. 6 Coup Plot
In 2022, Navarro was subpoenaed by the House Jan. 6 Committee after boasting publicly about his role in trying to overturn the 2020 election.
He helped create the “Green Bay Sweep” with Steve Bannon, a coordinated plan to delay the certification of Biden’s victory by encouraging Republicans to object to swing state results.
Claimed over 100 GOP members of Congress were on board and that Trump directly supported it.
Refused to appear before Congress, claiming executive privilege, which neither the courts nor Congress accepted.
Indicted in June 2022 on two counts of contempt of Congress.
Convicted in September 2023.
Sentenced to 4 months in federal prison and a $9,500 fine in January 2024.
Judge Amit Mehta said Navarro “chose loyalty to Trump over duty to the Constitution” and made clear Navarro was not a victim of political persecution.
📁 2. Government Records Lawsuit
DOJ filed a civil suit against Navarro in 2022 after discovering he’d used a private email account during his White House tenure to conduct official business.
He refused to hand over hundreds of presidential records - many involving pandemic response and election activity.
A federal judge ruled that Navarro must return the emails, which are U.S. government property under the Presidential Records Act.
As of 2024, Navarro was still refusing to fully comply and was facing possible contempt of court for continued defiance.
💰 3. COVID-19 Supply Contract Disasters
In April 2020, Navarro negotiated a $646 million contract with Philips for ventilators.
The U.S. paid over four times more than it had agreed to pay years earlier - jumping from $3,280 per ventilator to $15,000 per unit.
House Oversight Committee said the deal resulted in $500 million in unnecessary overpayments.
Investigators blamed “inept contract management” and said Navarro and his team “appeared gullible.”
The contract was ultimately canceled after public outcry.
🛑 4. Cronyism in Pandemic Procurement
Navarro personally intervened in federal contracting to fast track deals for companies with Trump ties:
Airboss Defense Group received a $96 million deal for respirators after Gen. Jack Keane (a Trump Medal of Freedom recipient) contacted Navarro.
Phlow Corporation, a pharmaceutical start-up founded just months earlier with no experience, got $354 million, the largest such contract ever awarded by the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority.
Navarro had personal connections with Phlow’s board and shared political views with its CEO.
These deals bypassed competition, lacked vetting, and raised serious ethical concerns but did not lead to criminal charges.
🧬 5. Undermining Public Health Experts
Navarro pushed hydroxychloroquine as a COVID treatment, clashing with Dr. Anthony Fauci and public health officials.
During a White House meeting, Navarro screamed at Fauci in front of other officials, insisting the drug worked despite no evidence.
He later wrote a USA Today op-ed titled: “Anthony Fauci Has Been Wrong About Everything.”
The White House disavowed the op-ed, saying it was never cleared and did not represent the administration’s stance.
Health experts widely condemned Navarro for promoting misinformation during a deadly pandemic.
📚 6. Academic Fraud
For years, Navarro cited a fake economist named “Ron Vara” - an anagram of his own name.
Vara appeared in multiple books warning about the dangers of China and was presented as a real source.
Navarro admitted it was a “humorous device” when exposed in 2019 but scholars called it academic fraud.
Publishers were forced to add disclaimers to future editions.
📉 7. Distorting Economics
Claimed that trade deficits directly reduce GDP, a claim rejected by nearly every mainstream economist.
Called out by trade policy experts like Dan Ikenson (Cato Institute), who labeled his understanding “economic illiteracy.”
Navarro argued for broad tariffs and protectionism, cherry-picking data to fit his political agenda.
📑 8. The ‘Navarro Report’ on Election Fraud
After Trump’s 2020 loss, Navarro compiled a 36-page report alleging massive fraud calling it “the most important document of our time.”
It was filled with debunked conspiracy theories, misused statistics, and false claims.
Cited outlets like OANN, Newsmax, and The Epoch Times as “legitimate” sources of election data.
The Washington Post called it “the most embarrassing document ever written by a White House staffer.”
The House Jan. 6 Committee cited it as part of the “disinformation ecosystem” that led to the Capitol riot.
🧨 9. Trade War Orchestrator
Navarro was the chief architect of Trump’s trade war with China - and also imposed tariffs on U.S. allies.
Advocated for blanket tariffs on steel, aluminum, and Chinese goods sparking retaliation from other nations.
Foreign allies condemned his policy as “beggar-thy-neighbor.”
Elon Musk called him “dumber than a sack of bricks.” 😂
Economists warned his policies risked triggering a global recession with no clear gain.
🇨🇳 10. China Conspiracies & Sanctions
Claimed COVID-19 was engineered in a Chinese lab and called Fauci “the father of the virus” for funding research in Wuhan.
Made repeated, unproven allegations that China was “weaponizing” trade, currency, and biology.
Sanctioned by China in 2021, alongside 27 other Trump officials, for “spreading lies and disinformation.”
🚨 11. Election Subversion & the Big Lie
Claimed the 2020 election was stolen, even after 60+ court cases proved otherwise.
Held press conferences, went on TV, and published reports insisting Trump won.
Promoted delaying the certification of Biden’s win which helped fuel the Jan. 6 insurrection.
Remains unrepentant, writing in his memoir that he would do it all again.
🤝 12. Shadow Lobbying & Insider Deal Making
Navarro used his influence to direct contracts to allies and friends inside the administration.
Emails show him pressuring FEMA and other agencies to push deals through “immediately.”
Acted like a lobbyist from inside the government - without accountability.
🌐 13. Named in Guo Wengui’s Fraud Investigation
In 2023, a court appointed trustee named Navarro as a possible financial recipient in the bankruptcy of Chinese billionaire Guo Wengui (an indicted associate of Steve Bannon).
No charges filed, but Navarro was included in a list of individuals who may have received improper payments.
Navarro denied ever receiving money and said it was a baseless connection - but the case is ongoing.
🍊14. Peter Navarro’s Role and Actions in Trump’s Second Term
In January 2025, Peter Navarro was reappointed as Senior Counselor for Trade and Manufacturing, despite serving a four month prison sentence in 2024 for contempt of Congress related to the January 6 investigation.
Navarro was instrumental in developing and promoting the “Liberation Day” tariffs, which imposed a 10% baseline tariff on imports from over 180 countries, with higher rates for specific nations.
These tariffs faced legal challenges- a federal court ruled them illegal, but an appeals court temporarily reinstated them pending further review.
Navarro’s tariff policies led to a public dispute with Elon Musk, who criticized the tariffs for harming U.S. businesses.
The feud escalated with personal insults exchanged between Navarro and Musk.
Navarro suggested expelling Canada from the Five Eyes intelligence alliance to pressure Ottawa over trade issues.
🔹Source List🔹
https://www.washingtonpost.com/dc-md-va/2024/01/25/peter-navarro-sentence-contempt/
https://www.politico.com/news/2022/08/03/doj-sues-peter-navarro-trump-emails-00049671
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2020/apr/06/peter-navarro-fauci-hydroxychloroquine