Peter Navarro, Incarcerated: ‘No Regrets’

Former White House economic adviser Peter Navarro expressed no regrets about his incarceration for a contempt of Congress conviction.

Navarro, 74, is currently serving time in a Miami prison after Chief Justice John Roberts denied an emergency request to remain free while his conviction was being challenged in the federal appeals court in Washington, D.C. Link

Supreme Court Justice Neil Gorsuch also denied Navarro’s appeal to avoid further prison time. Link

Navarro is currently two months into a four-month sentence for his refusal to cooperate with a partisan select committee, led by Nancy Pelosi, which investigated the Jan. 6 Capitol attack. The committee was composed of seven Democrats and two anti-Trump Republicans.

“I have no regrets,” Navarro shared with The Wall Street Journal via email. “I didn’t choose this fight, this fight chose me.”

Navarro also indicated that he is not seeking a pardon if former President Donald Trump returns to the White House.

“I will not give the Supreme Court any excuse to avoid addressing this landmark constitutional case concerning the separation of powers and executive privilege,” Navarro added, making him the first White House official to be imprisoned for contempt.

Trump, the presumed Republican presidential nominee, mentioned that he “would absolutely have Peter back” in a potential second term.

Navarro emphasized the need for accountability for those involved in investigating and prosecuting Trump. He urged them to preserve their emails, phone messages, and other correspondence for when the Trump FBI and DOJ begin their inquiries.

Navarro is currently housed in the Federal Correctional Institution Miami, designated for low-security male offenders. His release date is set for July 17, two days after his 75th birthday.

Communicating via email due to interview restrictions, Navarro and Rep. Matt Gaetz, R.-Fla., were both denied in-person interview requests.

Gaetz, who hosts a podcast, shared that Bureau of Prisons director Colette Peters deemed Navarro “too notorious” for an interview.

Navarro described his prison experience, mentioning hearing lions’ roars from a nearby zoo. He commented on the lack of proper nutrition and fresh fruit in a region known for its citrus production.