Career Timeline of Peter Navarro: Major Achievements and Milestones

From career breakthroughs to professional milestones, explore how Peter Navarro made an impact.

Peter Navarro is an American economist and author known for his role in the Trump administration. He served as the senior counselor for trade and manufacturing. Previously, he directed the White House National Trade Council and the Office of Trade and Manufacturing Policy, advising President Trump on trade and economic policy. His work often focused on issues related to trade imbalances and manufacturing competitiveness.

Sections (5)

Full Timeline Early Life & Education Career & Achievements Challenges & Struggles Controversies & Scandals

1981: Research Associate at Harvard's Energy and Environmental Policy Center

From 1981, Peter Navarro was a research associate at Harvard's Energy and Environmental Policy Center.

1984: Authored "The Policy Game"

In 1984, as a doctoral student, Navarro wrote "The Policy Game: How Special Interests and Ideologues are Stealing America," criticizing special interest groups.

Policy Game: How Special Interests and Ideologues are Stealing America

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1985: Teaches at UC San Diego and University of San Diego

From 1985, Peter Navarro taught at the University of California, San Diego and the University of San Diego.

1988: Teaching Position at the University of California, San Diego and the University of San Diego ends

In 1988 Peter Navarro concludes teaching at the University of California, San Diego and the University of San Diego

1989: Professor at UC Irvine

In 1989, Navarro moved to the University of California, Irvine as a professor of economics and public policy.

1992: Ran for Mayor as an Independent

In 1992, Peter Navarro carried an independent affiliation during the San Diego mayoral election.

1993: Ran for San Diego City Council

In 1993, Peter Navarro ran for San Diego city council, losing the election.

1994: Ran for San Diego County Board of Supervisors

In 1994, Peter Navarro ran for San Diego County board of supervisors, losing the election.

1996: Ran for 49th Congressional District

In 1996, Peter Navarro ran for the 49th Congressional District as the Democratic Party nominee, but lost to Republican Brian Bilbray.

1996: Endorsed by Hillary Clinton and spoke at Democratic Convention

In 1996, Peter Navarro was endorsed by Hillary Clinton and spoke at the 1996 Democratic Convention, carrying the "Clinton-Gore banner."

2001: Ran in Special Election for San Diego City Council Seat

In 2001, Peter Navarro ran in a special election to fill the District 6 San Diego city council seat, but lost.

2006: Publication of "The Coming China Wars"

In 2006, Navarro's book "The Coming China Wars" was published, examining China's role as an emerging world power and its conflicts with other nations over resources and trade.

Coming China Wars, The: Where They Will Be Fought and How They Can Be Won, Revised and Expanded Edition

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2011: Frequent Guest on The John Batchelor Show

From 2011 until 2016, Peter Navarro was a frequent guest on the radio program The John Batchelor Show.

2011: Publication of "Death by China"

In 2011, Peter Navarro co-authored "Death by China," arguing that China uses unfair trade practices that harm American companies.

Death by China: Confronting the Dragon - A Global Call to Action

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2012: Direction and Production of "Death by China" Documentary

In 2012, Peter Navarro directed and produced "Death by China," a documentary film based on his book, narrated by Martin Sheen.

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April 2015: Navarro's Opposition to TPP

In April 2015, Peter Navarro expressed his opposition to the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP), claiming it would harm the American economy by negatively impacting domestic investment and net exports.

September 2016: Authored Economic Plan for Trump Campaign

In September 2016, Peter Navarro and Wilbur Ross authored an economic plan for Donald Trump's presidential campaign.

October 2016: Co-authored "Donald Trump's Contract with the American Voter"

In October 2016, Peter Navarro, along with Wilbur Ross and Andrew Puzder, co-authored an essay titled "Donald Trump's Contract with the American Voter".

November 2016: Response to Economists' Warning Against Trump's Policies

In November 2016, Peter Navarro dismissed a letter from 370 economists warning against Trump's stated economic policies, calling it "an embarrassment."

December 21, 2016: Selected as Director of the White House National Trade Council

On December 21, 2016, Peter Navarro was selected by President-elect Trump as director of the White House National Trade Council.

2016: Frequent Guest on The John Batchelor Show

From 2011 until 2016, Peter Navarro was a frequent guest on the radio program The John Batchelor Show.

January 2017: Joins the Trump Administration

In January 2017, Navarro joined the Trump administration as an advisor on trade and encouraged protectionist trade policies.

March 2017: TPP as 'Death Knell'

In March 2017, Peter Navarro stated that the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) would have been a "death knell" to America's auto and vehicle parts industry, emphasizing the need to revitalize the industry.

April 2017: Appointment as Director of the Office of Trade and Manufacturing Policy

In April 2017, Peter Navarro was appointed Director of the Office of Trade and Manufacturing Policy after the National Trade Council became part of it.

September 2017: Office of Trade and Manufacturing Policy Folded into National Economic Council

In September 2017, the Office of Trade and Manufacturing Policy was integrated into the National Economic Council (NEC), resulting in Peter Navarro reporting to NEC director Gary Cohn, viewed as a demotion due to clashes between Navarro and Cohn on trade issues.

February 2018: Release of Infrastructure Plan

In February 2018, President Trump released a $1.5 trillion version of an infrastructure plan, which was initially designed by Peter Navarro and Wilbur Ross. However, the Republican-controlled Congress displayed little enthusiasm for the proposal.

February 2018: Rising Influence in the Administration

In February 2018, media reports indicated that Peter Navarro's influence within the Trump administration was increasing, and he was likely to be promoted to Assistant to the President. It was also reported that Navarro led low-profile policy items such as working to increase military funding and drafting Executive Order 13806.

March 2018: Cohn's Departure and Navarro's Solidified Influence

In March 2018, Gary Cohn left the Trump administration, further solidifying Peter Navarro's influence within the administration.

October 2018: Support for Restricting Student Visas for Chinese Nationals

In October 2018, Peter Navarro supported a proposal by Stephen Miller to stop providing student visas to Chinese nationals, which would have prevented Chinese citizens from studying in the United States.

2018: Influence in Initiating the China-United States Trade War

In 2018, Peter Navarro played a significant role in urging the Trump administration to begin the China-United States trade war. He incorrectly predicted that no countries would retaliate against U.S. tariffs, but retaliatory tariffs were implemented and the World Trade Organization rejected the U.S. tariffs.

May 2019: Support for Tariffs on Mexico

In May 2019, Peter Navarro publicly stated that Trump's decision to impose tariffs on Mexico, unless the country stopped illegal immigration to the United States, was "a brilliant move".

August 5, 2019: U.S. Treasury Department designated China as a currency manipulator.

On August 5, 2019, the U.S. Treasury Department officially designated China as a "currency manipulator," a stance Navarro advocated for.

September 2019: Diplomatic Efforts to Combat China's Usage of International Mail Rates

In September 2019, Peter Navarro led a diplomatic effort to address China's use of international mail rates to ship products into the US more cheaply. Navarro successfully led a diplomatic effort to the third Extraordinary Congress of the Universal Postal Union.

October 2019: Defense of Trade War with China

In October 2019, Peter Navarro defended the trade war with China, stating that the United States was "dealing with a strategic rival" that was "trying to buckle our knees".

2019: Influence over United States Trade Policy

In 2019, The New York Times wrote of Peter Navarro that he "has managed to exert enormous influence over United States trade policy" in the Trump administration.

January 29, 2020: Warning Memo on Coronavirus Pandemic

On January 29, 2020, Peter Navarro issued a memo warning about the potential of the novel coronavirus to evolve into a full-blown pandemic, posing a risk to millions of Americans. He advocated for travel restrictions from China.

January 31, 2020: Trump Signs Executive Order on Counterfeited and Pirated Goods

On January 31, 2020, Donald Trump signed an executive order to crackdown on counterfeited and pirated e-commerce goods from overseas after Peter Navarro worked with the DHS to initiate it.

February 2020: Investigation into Anonymous Op-Ed Author

In February 2020, reports surfaced that Peter Navarro was conducting his own investigation to identify the author of an anonymous op-ed in The New York Times that criticized the Trump Administration.

February 23, 2020: Memo Predicting Severe Impact of Coronavirus

On February 23, 2020, Peter Navarro wrote a memo estimating that the coronavirus could infect up to 100 million Americans, leading to as many as 1-2 million deaths. He requested an immediate supplemental appropriation of at least $3 billion.

March 27, 2020: Appointment to Coordinate Defense Production Act Response

On March 27, 2020, Peter Navarro was appointed by President Trump to coordinate the federal government's Defense Production Act policy response during the coronavirus pandemic. He promoted domestic production and reducing reliance on foreign supply chains.

July 2020: Agreement on Self-Declared Rates by Universal Postal Union

In July 2020, following diplomatic efforts led by Peter Navarro, the Universal Postal Union agreed that member countries could opt-in to self-declare their rates.

2020: Involvement in COVID-19 Response

In 2020, during his final year in the Trump administration, Navarro was involved in the administration's COVID-19 response, and was also named the national Defense Production Act policy.

December 2021: Navarro claims falsehoods were meant "to lay the legal predicate for the actions to be taken"

In December 2021, Peter Navarro was still claiming that his falsehoods were meant "to lay the legal predicate for the actions to be taken" despite no evidence of voting fraud being found.

In Trump Time: A Journal of America's Plague Year

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February 9, 2022: House Select Committee on the January 6 Attack subpoenaed Navarro

On February 9, 2022, the House Select Committee on the January 6 Attack subpoenaed Navarro to provide documents and testimony, but he refused.

February 2022: Navarro claims Trump told him not to testify in February 2022.

In a pretrial hearing in August 2023, Navarro claimed that Trump had told him in a February 2022 phone call not to testify to the House committee, but failed to produce any evidence of what Trump actually said in the conversation.

April 6, 2022: House of Representatives voted to hold Navarro in contempt.

On April 6, 2022, the House of Representatives voted to hold Navarro and Dan Scavino in contempt for their refusals to testify before the House Select Committee.

May 2022: Navarro subpoenaed by federal grand jury.

In May 2022, Navarro said he had been subpoenaed by a federal grand jury and ordered to surrender any documents he had related to the January 6, 2021 attack on the U.S. Capitol.

July 15, 2022: Judge signals Navarro's treatment at outset of criminal case was "unreasonably harsh".

On July 15, 2022, U.S. district judge Amit Mehta signaled that he agreed that the treatment of Navarro at the outset of the criminal case was "unreasonably harsh," noting that the government did not offer self-surrender to Navarro.

January 2023: Judge Mehta denied Navarro's effort to dismiss the charges against him.

In January 2023, Judge Mehta denied Navarro's effort to dismiss the charges against him, writing that Navarro failed to provide evidence of Trump asserting executive privilege.

August 2023: Judge ruled Navarro could not claim executive privilege.

In August 2023, Judge Mehta ruled that Navarro could not claim an "executive privilege" not to testify before the House committee. After the ruling against him, Navarro tried to grab a demonstrator's "Trump lost" sign from her at a press conference outside the courthouse.

September 5, 2023: A jury was seated for Navarro's trial.

On September 5, 2023, a jury was seated for Navarro's trial, where three former congressional committee staffers testified as prosecution witnesses.

January 16, 2024: Federal judge denied Navarro's request for a new trial.

On January 16, 2024, a federal judge denied Navarro's request for a new trial following his conviction on both counts of contempt of Congress.

February 2024: Judge Kollar-Kotelly considers holding Navarro in contempt.

In February 2024, Judge Kollar-Kotelly said she would appoint a magistrate judge and consider holding Navarro in contempt to ensure his compliance with turning over presidential records.

March 19, 2024: Navarro incarcerated in elderly prisoner unit of a U.S. Federal penitentiary.

Navarro spent March 19–July 17 incarcerated in the elderly prisoner unit of a U.S. Federal penitentiary.

December 4, 2024: Trump Announces Navarro as Senior Counselor

On December 4, 2024, Trump announced that Navarro would serve as the senior counselor for trade and manufacturing in his second term.

January 2025: Navarro called NAFTA a "catastrophe".

In January 2025, amidst Trump's threats to put tariffs on Canada and Mexico, Navarro called NAFTA a "catastrophe" in an interview, and said because "China was so much worse", it was ignored "how bad NAFTA was".

January 20, 2025: Navarro Takes Office

On January 20, 2025, Peter Navarro took office as the senior counselor for trade and manufacturing for U.S. president Donald Trump.

February 2025: Navarro and Stephen Miller were the leading officials in the economic discussions regarding the imposition of tariffs on Canada, China and Mexico.

In February 2025, Navarro and Stephen Miller were the leading officials in the economic discussions regarding the imposition of tariffs on Canada, China and Mexico. Navarro was a key official behind Trump's decision to adopt a trade policy memo in the first day of the presidency, his decision to impose 25% tariffs on all steel and aluminum imports to the U.S, as well as his decision to adopt reciprocal tariffs for every country. The Financial Times reported in February 2025 that Navarro proposed expelling Canada from the Five Eyes.