‘I’m Going to Rip Your F*cking Throat Out’: Peter Navarro’s Reported Abuse of Staff, Perceived Enemies Earned White House Rebuke

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Trump administration trade adviser Peter Navarro was reprimanded by the White House for repeatedly unleashing his volcanic temper on his staff as well as outsiders perceived as having betrayed President Donald Trump’s agenda, according to a new report. His scorched earth approach has also earned him additional criticism after his controversial decisions as the lead purchasing chief for the White House’s coronavirus response have drawn scrutiny.

According to the Washington Post, the White House trade adviser has established a reputation for verbally abusing his staff and aggressively attacking and threatening government and business figures for any perceived disloyalty to Trump. In a detailed report that involved interviews with 28 current and former administration officials, the Post paints a portrait of a loose cannon adviser who shares the mercurial temper of his boss in the Oval Office.

Navarro’s harsh manner and disregard for protocol have alienated numerous colleagues, corporate executives and prominent Republicans. In a previously undisclosed incident, the White House Counsel’s Office in 2018 investigated Navarro’s behavior in response to repeated complaints and found he routinely had been verbally abusive toward others. Navarro narrowly avoided losing his job, but the abuse has continued as the White House has grappled with the pandemic, multiple administration officials said.

Though the 71-year-old Navarro has bitterly rebuked Dr. Anthony Fauci in public as “wrong about everything,” he has reportedly focused his tirades and disrespect on his young, mostly female staff, often demanding that they take on menial tasks like note-taking instead of participating fully in meetings. His staff grew so upset that many of them eventually complained to then-White House Chief of Staff John Kelly, who conduced a personnel investigation of Navarro’s conduct.

“If it’s worse than what I’m hearing, you’re gone,” Kelly told Navarro, the Post reports. “If it’s as bad as what I’m hearing, I don’t know. You may be gone.” Kelly eventually decided on an informal counseling. But after Kelly left in 2018, Navarro’s abusive behavior reportedly returned and has been exacerbated by his key role in the White House’s coronavirus task force.