The Influencers: The People Shaping Trump’s New Washington
This story is part of a series exploring the backgrounds and agendas of the players — the well known names and behind-the-scenes operators alike — who will wield power in Trump’s second term.
Years before Peter Navarro went to prison for contempt of Congress, he was already known for his contempt for Congress.
Throughout Donald Trump’s first term, lawmakers often left meetings with Navarro — the president’s trade attack dog — uncertain of the new administration’s strategic endgame. They were hearing concerns from companies in their districts about Trump’s tariffs on imports from America’s allies, which were causing higher prices and threatening jobs. Could someone explain, they wondered, why paying more for steel and aluminum from Canada and Mexico was necessary for national security?
Rep. Warren Davidson shared apprehensions like those in a meeting with Navarro, but it left him frustrated. It was “a complete waste of time,” he recalled in a recent interview with NOTUS.