A Timely Interview With Dr. Peter Navarro

Tough times burnish tough people.

As if a recession, nations at war and inflation weren’t enough, imagine facing criminal charges today. Where mere mortals would crumble, the best and brightest make the most of the moment.

Throughout history, there are examples of men whose finest hour was in or foreshadowed by incarceration: Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. wrote "Letter from Birmingham Jail (April 16, 1963), Marco Polo dictated about his travels while a POW, Sir Walter Raleigh wrote "History of the World," Vol. 1 imprisoned in the Tower of London (c. 1603-1616).

India's Mahatma Gandhi said, "We have today converted the jails into heavens of refuge for liberty-loving men."

Dr. Peter Navarro --- whose interview last year is here --- was shackled in leg irons and unceremoniously dumped into a jail cell for non-violent, non-drug Contempt of Congress charges, then sued by the Department of Justice (DOJ) for emails sent while as a White House adviser to President Trump. His latest book, "Taking Back Trump’s America: Why We Lost the White House and How We’ll Win it Back," is an unflinching reckoning and a roadmap for the future.

I attended the book party release on Constitution Avenue in Washington, D.C.

There were world-renowned conservative thought leaders, journalists and friends of Dr. Navarro in attendance.

Still, with this impressive crew, I was able to ask some questions, as well as take note of insightful questions from others. We were overlooking the Capitol building as the sun set.

I couldn’t help but worry: Are we looking at the sunset of America as we know it?

The book is a Rosetta Stone to the lost and perhaps future win of a presidency.

Navarro is a cool cucumber and I always like to get advice from leaders that all of us could use. I noted that his book has placed Top 20 on Amazon after he was put in leg irons.

Recalling President Trump’s advice in "The Art of the Deal" that basically, you might have fear but you can’t be afraid, I asked Navarro how he copes.

He responded, "I think it’s easier at my stage in life. I’ve got nothing to lose. I have my duty to my country. Otherwise, who am I?"

Thinking of the election timeline, I posed the theory that Rep. Jim Clyburn, D-S.C., owes an apology to this nation, for saving Biden’s candidacy.

Navarro answered, "He owes more than one apology to make. It’s high irony to me that the subcommittee on COVID accused me of ("pushing" Hydroxychloroquine) when they had 500,000 to one million people die," he noted pointedly. (Latest figures are 1.05 million deaths in the U.S.)

I wondered if he considered any Democrat able to have avoided today’s financial mess. "I know of nobody in the Democratic Party, political or economics, who knows how to deal with stagflation."

I asked, as well as several other reporters in different wording, what assurances do we have that a future President Trump wouldn’t make bad personnel choices? Navarro spoke of "The original sin: RINO Republicans being brought in the tent."

He seemed confident that Trump wouldn’t feel a need to do that.

I asked how the thousands of civil service workers be replaced if necessary.

Navarro described the situation as the top people have to be confirmed — and he laid that at Sen. Mitch McConnell’s feet — and that would take care of the underlings.

People were wondering if President Trump had read the new book. Navarro conceded, "There may be some thing that may 'Trumple' him, but I am a historian and tell the truth. I was put in leg irons, that should never happen to someone who served honorably."

Navarro put some of the press conference as part of his live GETTR feed.

I was able to ask a question during that. In his book, Navarro spoke of different White House personnel taking the position that national security is adversarial to keeping manufacturing in the Rust Belt. This didn’t make sense to me.

"(Mick) Mulvaney (as a South Carolina congressman) dumped on Donald Trump the candidate. That SOB got right in the White House, the most powerful position: Chief of Staff. How does that happen, that he is opposed to Donald Trump’s two rules: Buy American, Hire American?"

Though the subject and circumstances regarding Dr. Navarro’s status are very serious, the party was still a hopeful and inspiring occasion.

Tamar Alexia Fleishman was the Chicago Symphony Orchestra's youngest female solo violinist. A world-traveler, Fleishman provides readers with international flavor and culture. She's debated Bill Maher, Greta Van Susteren and Dr. Phil. Fleishman practices law in Maryland with a J.D. from the University of Baltimore, a B.A. in Political Science from Goucher College. Read Tamar Alexia Fleishman's Reports — More Here.​