History of Peter Navarro in Timeline
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.
July 15, 1949: Peter Navarro's Birth
On July 15, 1949, Peter Kent Navarro was born. He is an American economist and author who later became a senior counselor for trade and manufacturing for U.S. president Donald Trump.
1972: Graduation from Tufts University
In 1972, Navarro graduated from Tufts University with a Bachelor of Arts degree.
1979: Earned Master's Degree from Harvard
In 1979, Navarro earned a Master of Public Administration from Harvard University's John F. Kennedy School of Government.
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.
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.
1986: Received PhD in Economics from Harvard
In 1986, Navarro earned a PhD in economics from Harvard University.
1986: Moves to California
In 1986, upon moving to California, Peter Navarro initially registered as nonpartisan.
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.
1989: Registered as a Republican
In 1989, Peter Navarro registered as a Republican.
1991: Re-registered as an Independent
By 1991, Peter Navarro had re-registered as an Independent.
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.
1994: Rejoined the Democratic Party
In 1994, Peter Navarro rejoined the Democratic Party.
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: Marriage to Leslie Lebon
In 2001, Peter Navarro married Leslie Lebon, a California architect. The couple lived in Laguna Beach with Lebon's son from a previous marriage while Navarro was a professor at UC Irvine.
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.
2008: Supported Hillary Clinton's Presidential Campaign
In 2008, Peter Navarro supported Hillary Clinton's presidential campaign.
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.
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.
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.
2015: Views on China
In 2015, Peter Navarro's views on China were met with skepticism from China specialists, most of whom were unfamiliar with him or had only brief interactions. While some of his views, like criticism of Chinese currency manipulation, concern over China's impact on the Rust Belt after joining the WTO, and criticism of environmental and labor standards, aligned with mainstream thought, others were heavily criticized.
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: Described Himself as a Reagan Democrat
During the 2016 presidential election, Peter Navarro described himself as "a Reagan Democrat and a Trump Democrat abandoned by my party."
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: Re-registered as a Republican
In February 2018, Peter Navarro re-registered as a Republican.
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.
June 2018: Remarks about Justin Trudeau
In June 2018, Peter Navarro made a controversial statement that there was "a special place in hell" for Canadian prime minister Justin Trudeau, after Trudeau announced Canada would respond to U.S. tariffs with retaliatory tariffs. Navarro later apologized for the statement.
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.
2018: Divorce Filing
In late 2018, Leslie Lebon filed for divorce from Peter Navarro in Orange County, California.
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".
December 2019: Circulation of Ron Vara Memo
In December 2019, a memo purportedly written by the fictional Ron Vara, highlighting the "Keep Tariff Argument" and the use of tariffs against China, began circulating in Washington, D.C. Peter Navarro later confirmed he had written the memo. This led to accusations from a Ministry of Foreign Affairs of China spokesperson, Hua Chunying, who accused Navarro of "smearing China with lies."
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: Steven Hatfill Becomes Advisor
In February 2020, biologist Steven Hatfill became Peter Navarro's advisor regarding the coronavirus pandemic.
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.
May 2020: Criticism of Stay-at-Home Orders and Accusations Against China
In May 2020, Peter Navarro criticized stay-at-home orders, arguing that the COVID-19 lockdowns would kill "many more" people than the coronavirus. He also accused the Chinese government of sending Chinese citizens to other countries to "seed" the virus.
July 2020: Touting Hydroxychloroquine as Coronavirus Treatment
In July 2020, Peter Navarro touted a widely criticized study as evidence that hydroxychloroquine was an effective coronavirus treatment, despite limitations in the study and contradictory results from multiple randomized controlled trials.
July 2020: Publication of Editorial Criticizing Anthony Fauci
In July 2020, USA Today published an editorial by Peter Navarro with the headline "Anthony Fauci has been wrong about everything I have interacted with him on." White House officials disavowed Navarro's attacks, and the newspaper later issued an apologetic statement.
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.
August 2020: Cancellation of Ventilator Contract and Investigation
In August 2020, administration officials terminated a contract negotiated by Peter Navarro for the purchase of 42,900 ventilators. The cancellation was "subject to internal HHS investigation and legal review" due to alleged overpayment.
October 2020: Preparing Allegations of Election Fraud
In October 2020, two weeks before the presidential elections, Peter Navarro's office in the White House began preparing allegations of election fraud.
December 2020: Publication of Report Alleging Election Fraud
In December 2020, Peter Navarro published a report alleging widespread election fraud, repeating discredited conspiracy theories and citing biased sources. The report inaccurately described the "blue shift" phenomenon.
December 2020: Divorce Finalized
In December 2020, Peter Navarro's divorce from Leslie Lebon became final.
December 2020: Hatch Act Violation Ruling
In December 2020, the United States Office of Special Counsel determined that Peter Navarro repeatedly violated the Hatch Act by using his official position to speak against Joe Biden during the presidential campaign, thus attempting to influence elections.
2020: Sought to overturn the 2020 presidential election
In 2020, Navarro sought to overturn the 2020 presidential election and advanced conspiracy theories of election fraud.
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.
2020: Criticism of Outsourcing Amid COVID-19
In 2020, in light of the COVID-19 pandemic, Peter Navarro criticized the outsourcing of critical materials, such as essential medical supplies, to China, calling for the repatriation of global supply chains. His views were questioned by some economists.
January 2, 2021: Participation in Call with Georgia Election Officials
On January 2, 2021, Peter Navarro participated in a call with Georgia election officials where Donald Trump urged them to overturn the election results. During a Fox News appearance on the same day, Navarro falsely claimed the election was stolen and suggested postponing Joe Biden's inauguration.
January 6, 2021: Coordination of "The Green Bay Sweep"
On January 6, 2021, Peter Navarro and Steve Bannon coordinated an effort called "The Green Bay Sweep" with over 100 Republican state legislators. Navarro's role was to provide evidence for congressmen to make their cases challenging the election results.
January 6, 2021: Storming of the Capitol
In the wake of the storming of the Capitol on January 6, 2021, Peter Navarro appeared on Fox Business Network, shifting blame to Trump.
January 20, 2021: Chinese Government Imposes Sanctions
On January 20, 2021, the Chinese government imposed sanctions against Peter Navarro and 27 other Trump administration officials for allegedly interfering in China's internal affairs and undermining China-U.S. relations. The sanctions included a ban from entering China, Hong Kong, and Macau, and restrictions on associated companies and institutions doing business in China.
March 2021: Baseless Conspiracy Theory about Fauci
During a Fox News appearance in March 2021, Peter Navarro repeated a baseless conspiracy theory that Anthony Fauci was the "father" of the virus and had financed a Chinese laboratory where it was supposedly developed.
March 2021: Congressional Investigation into Federal Funds Allocation
The Washington Post reported in March 2021 that congressional investigators were examining whether Peter Navarro had directed over $1 billion in federal funds for medical supplies to companies he selected, after his recommendations had been rejected by President Trump.
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.
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: Subpoenaed by Congress
In February 2022, Navarro was subpoenaed twice by Congress after seeking to overturn the 2020 presidential election.
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.
June 2, 2022: Indicted for Contempt of Congress
On June 2, 2022, Navarro was indicted on two counts of contempt of Congress after refusing to comply with subpoenas.
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.
September 7, 2023: Convicted on Contempt Charges
On September 7, 2023, Navarro was convicted on both counts of contempt of Congress.
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.
January 25, 2024: Sentenced to Jail
On January 25, 2024, Navarro was sentenced to four months in jail and fined $9,500 for 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.
July 2024: Engagement Announcement
At the Republican National Convention in July 2024, Peter Navarro announced his engagement to a new woman named Bonnie.
July 17, 2024: Released from Prison
On July 17, 2024, Navarro was released from the minimum-security camp inside of the Miami Federal Correctional Institute, where he served his sentence for contempt of Congress.
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 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.
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