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Ex-president Donald Trump made sure that his supporters and fans are clear about what he expects of former trade director and coronavirus task force member Peter Navarro when it comes to a Congressional investigation: non-compliance.
The House Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Crisis issued a subpoena Friday for Navarro as part of their investigation into the administration’s Covid response. The subpoena not only orders Navarro to give a deposition but to turn over documents that the committee has been requesting.
A memorandum released by committee chair Rep. James Clyburn says the committee sent a request for documents on September 14, 2021, and that “Mr. Navarro has failed to provide documents, despite extensive efforts to secure voluntary cooperation.”
“As Director of the White House Office of Trade and Manufacturing Policy and an Assistant to the President, Mr. Navarro was integrally involved in the prior Administration’s pandemic response including its procurement efforts,” the memo reads. “Documents previously released by the Select Subcommittee show that rather than implement a coordinated national strategy to
On Saturday, Trump put out his own statement, making it clear that he expects Navarro not to cooperate, but to “protect executive privilege” in what he describes as “yet another Witch Hunt.”
“The Communist Democrats are engaging in yet another Witch Hunt, this time going after my Administration’s unprecedented and incredible coronavirus response, despite the fact that, sadly, more Americans have died this year from Covid than in all of 2020,” reads the statement sent by email on Saturday.
“It is a Witch Hunt that’s been going on for years,” it continues. “Why don’t they investigate Crooked Hillary, when so much has now been proven about her and her campaign’s lies and dealings with Russia to smear me and spy on my campaign?”
Trump then outlines his instruction for Navarro.
“I’m telling Peter Navarro to protect executive privilege and not let these unhinged Democrats discredit our great accomplishments,” he says. “The Witch Hunts must end!”
Last week former Trump adviser Steve Bannon turned himself in to authorities on the charge of Contempt of Congress for his own refusal to cooperate with a subpoena. In Bannon’s case, it was the committee investigating January 6 and the lead-up to it.
At the time of this writing, Navarro has not made a comment on Trump’s statement, which was sent about an hour before this article was posted. However, he did call the investigation a “witch hunt” and used the opportunity to promote his book, in a statement to Forbes.