Peter Navarro at the Republican Party Congress. Photo: Josh Brown/ZUMA Press
US President-elect Donald Trump has announced that he has appointed Peter Navarro, a former aide who served time in prison after the events of 6 January 2021, as senior adviser on trade and manufacturing. This role is similar to the one Navarro held during the first Trump administration, Reuters reports.
In January, Navarro was sentenced to four months in prison for disobeying Congress, as he refused to appear for questioning before a commission of inquiry into the events of 6 January. Trump said that Navarro’s main mission in his new position would be to promote his programme on manufacturing, tariffs and trade.
During the previous Trump administration, Navarro actively supported trade tariffs on $370 billion worth of Chinese imports, as well as national tariffs on steel and aluminium. Trump stressed that Navarro helped renegotiate trade agreements with Mexico, Canada and South Korea, and acted quickly on tariffs and trade sanctions.
“Few people have been more effective or persistent than Peter in enforcing my principles: “Buy American, hire American,” Trump said.
Navarro’s controversial past
After his release from prison in July 2024, Navarro spoke at the Republican Party convention, where he said: “I went to prison so you wouldn’t have to.” He also said that he refused to cooperate with the committee investigating the 6 January riots and betrayed Trump.
Given his criminal conviction, the question of obtaining a security clearance to work in the White House remains open. However, experts note that Trump can resolve this issue, and even has the right to pardon Navarro.
Overall, this appointment underscores Navarro’s continued loyalty to Trump, as well as his influence on US trade and manufacturing policy.
