While President Trump ordered a 50 percent tariff on all Canadian goods on Friday, his senior trade advisor Peter Navarro appeared on News Nation where he was asked about the recent decision by a federal appeals court, which upheld Navarro’s conviction for defying a congressional subpoena regarding the attack of the U.S. Capitol on January 6, 2021.
Navarro served four months in prison, as did Trump’s former White House chief strategist Steve Bannon, who also defied a subpoena issued by the bipartisan House Select Committee on January 6.
Navarro told News Nation he wasn’t surprised and said: “This is as woke, and Left, and screw Trump people as it can possibly be,” and said he “will move forward with an appeal.”
They put me in prison for defending the Constitution.
I’ve said since the day I was arrested — under a system of weaponized injustice — that my case would go to the Supreme Court.
My case will be precedent-setting for future presidential advisors, regardless of party. pic.twitter.com/YzVD8qZV4e
— Peter Navarro (@RealPNavarro) July 25, 2026
Navarro, who said that since the day of his arrest he thought the case would go to the Supreme Court, added: “They put me in prison for simply defending the Constitutional separation of powers. That’s all I’m guilty of.”
He added, “If I win the appeal, every future presidential advisor, regardless of party, will be able to respect the candor and confidentiality of presidential communications without risking imprisonment.”
Critics of the Trump administration replied to Navarro on social media: “They put you in prison because you broke the law,” and pointed out that even if his appeal did reach the Supreme Court, “It only changes one case—not the justice system.”
Others also noted, “Trump NEVER invoked executive privilege.”
Both Navarro and Bannon claimed Trump told them to invoke executive privilege to defy congressional subpoenas, though Trump’s former attorney Justin Clark told the FBI and federal prosecutors that Trump never invoked executive privilege over their testimonies.
[NOTE: When Trump returned to the White House, Navarro did not seek a presidential pardon, reportedly because he hoped to win his appeal. The Justice Department stopped defending Navarro’s conviction in 2025.]