Peter Navarro Attacks Justice System Before Walking Into Prison

Former Donald Trump aide Peter Navarro attempted to blame the "partisan weaponization" of the U.S. justice system during a Tuesday press conference in the parking lot of a Miami federal prison.

Context

Navarro previously served as director of the Office of Trade and Manufacturing Policy in the White House of former President Donald Trump, an office that began under that administration and was later abolished by President Joe Biden. In early 2022, he was twice subpoenaed for testimony by the House select committee investigating that January 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol, which he did not comply with.

As a result, Navarro was charged with contempt of Congress. He was convicted in September and, in January, sentenced to four months in prison and hit with a $9,500 fine.

Navarro claimed throughout the process that he did not have to turn over the documents requested by the select committee, as they were covered under Trump's executive privilege. His attempts to have his conviction overturned consistently failed in court, up to and including the Supreme Court, with Chief Justice John Roberts rejecting his appeal in an order from Monday.

What We Know

After being convicted of contempt of Congress, Navarro will begin a four-month sentence on Tuesday afternoon at FCI Miami, a low-security institution with an adjacent minimum-security satellite camp. Prior to the start of his sentence, the former Trump aide held a press conference in the prison's parking lot, where he blamed his sentence on a supposedly weaponized justice system and Democratic judges.

"When I walk into that prison today, the justice system, such as it is, will have done a crippling blow to the Constitution's separation of powers and executive privilege," Navarro said. "The second and related story has to do with the emergence of 'lawfare' and the partisan weaponization of our justice system, which we have seen come to this country with a vengeance since the coming of Donald John Trump as president."

Navarro noted that he is the first senior White House advisor in American history convicted on his particular charges, which he erroneously referred to as an "alleged crime," despite having been found guilty in a court of law.

He said that "for hundreds of years," his charges "have not been a crime" and that the principle of "absolute testimonial immunity" has been upheld until his case. He also claimed that every appellate judge who denied his appeal requests was a Democrat.

Newsweek reached out to Trump's office via email for comment on Tuesday.

Views

During a broadcast of Navarro's address, CNN cut away from his remarks to offer, as he requested, a fact check of his claims.

"To fact check there, it is no longer an alleged crime," anchor Sandra Smith said. "He has obviously been convicted and there was no evidence that would have excluded him, per executive privilege, from testifying."

Alt-right political activist and conspiracy theorist Jack Posobiec expressed distress over Fox News similarly cutting away from Navarro's comments in a post to X.

"Fox News just cut off Peter Navarro as he delivered his final statement before being thrown into federal prison by the Biden Admin," Posobiec wrote. "What is going on?"

What Comes Next

Navarro's four-month sentence is set to commence on Tuesday at 2:00 p.m. ET. Former Trump advisor Steve Bannon has been convicted of the same charges for defying a select committee subpoena but has so far avoided beginning his four-month prison sentence as he appeals the ruling.

Update 3/19/24, 12:13 p.m. ET: This article was updated with additional information.