Navarro labels reported sidelining 'fake news'
White House trade adviser Peter Navarro said his job was safe despite a series of public spats with tech billionaire Elon Musk and reports alleging he was sidelined from decisionmaking.
Navarro, who also served under Trump's first administration, addressed the claims he was benched during a Thursday interview on Fox News’s “Jesse Watters Primetime.” In his rebuttal, he called the suggestion "fake news."
“That’s fake news, Jesse. I would say this about this team that I’m working with, I mean, it’s radically different from the first term, when we had a lot of people fighting and had disparate voices, and every time the boss wanted to do something, there were people wanting to hold him back,” he told host Jesse Watters.
“We have a unique set of skills here. … You're in great hands, not just with President Trump, who is the commander in chief and chief dealmaker, but with the people who are involved," Navarro added.
He specifically credited Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick and Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent for their ability to oversee trade regulation while considering market shifts through years of experience in the finance sector.
Bessent, a former hedge fund manager, has ramped up media appearances amid a looming trade war sparked by the Trump administration's latest tariffs on nearly all foreign trading partners. Those import taxes — part of what exacerbated arguments between Navarro and Musk — are now under a 90-day pause, with the exception of China.
When asked about the trade adviser's tangle with the Tesla CEO — a top ally to the president — the White House largely brushed off the tiff. Others, including Musk's brother and Trump's former chief of staff Mick Mulvaney have argued that Navarro should be let go.
The Treasury chief was referenced in a recent article from Politico as “the White House’s main conduit to beleaguered financial markets” who “is now at the helm." In Thursday's report, the outlet said Navarro had been relegated to the sidelines and Lutnick, called the "Wall Street punching bag," was recast into the role of "bad cop."
The allegation comes as GOP senators have cast doubt on Navarro's ability to lead with a level head without firm relationships in Washington.
Navarro hammered down on his statements denying the dismissal from Trump World and reiterated during the interview Thursday that all talk of his upheaval was “fake news," and said he had strong relationships with much of the president's Cabinet.
“I can't be more honored to be there, even if some people think I'm in the doghouse," he told the host. "That's officially fake news."
“Throw me a bone, Jesse,” Navarro joked.