The White House to the Big House
The White House to the Big House
Felons present and pardoned in Trump-world
Yet another Trump insider has reported to prison. Meanwhile, a former Trump campaign chief who previously spent time behind bars may soon be helping the former president raise money for his current campaign. It’s another day of disbelief in Republican politics. Truly, you can’t make it up.
Today, Peter Navarro, who served as trade adviser to Donald Trump, became the first former White House official in American history to be imprisoned for contempt of Congress. Navarro arrived in Miami this morning to begin serving a four-month sentence for refusing to testify in front of the House Select Committee investigating the January 6 insurrection. The committee wanted to question him regarding a plan he devised, and openly bragged about, in which Trump-friendly members of Congress would delay the electoral certification of President Biden’s win.
As he was entering prison, Navarro told reporters, “I’m pissed.” No doubt a similar sentiment to what many felt when he refused to tell investigators what he knew about the plot inside the White House to overthrow the 2020 election.
“You are not a victim. You are not the object of a political prosecution. These are circumstances of your own making.”
-Judge Amit Mehta to Navarro at his sentencing in January
Navarro joins a vaunted list of Trump-world insiders who now have mugshots and inmate IDs instead of a White House pass.
To complete this surreal revolving door of criminals, we have the return of Paul Manafort. The former Trump campaign chief and previously convicted felon is reportedly in talks to join the Trump 2024 campaign. Manafort served prison time and was later pardoned by then-President Trump in the days after he lost the 2020 election. The commonality between Manafort and Navarro is, as they say in prison parlance, they never “ratted out” the boss.
To refresh your memory, Manafort was convicted of tax and bank fraud. Those crimes surfaced from Special Counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 election. The investigation also found Manafort was passing along Trump polling data to a Russian with ties to the KGB.
According to multiple press reports, it is planned for Manafort to have a role at the GOP convention this summer in Milwaukee. Oh, and by the way, Trump will soon begin receiving intelligence briefings as the presumptive Republican nominee. National security, anyone?
By any reasonable analysis, it’s difficult to imagine how Manafort’s presence on the campaign benefits Donald Trump. While the former president has the MAGA vote locked down, he needs a good portion of independent voters to win the election. How does bringing back Manafort, who was convicted of serious crimes and is believed to have had close connections to Russian intelligence, sway undecided voters? The so-called “Haley voters,” all of whom Trump needs, support NATO, democracy, and the rule of law.
Crime is also a concern to those voters still making up their minds. A new poll from Ipsos and Politico found that more than a third of moderates would have a serious problem voting for Donald Trump if he is convicted in the New York hush-money trial. In a close race, those votes will matter. Trump plus crime does not equal a landslide win. The poll also indicated that 70% of the electorate rejects the idea that presidents are immune from prosecution for crimes committed in office.
Surely Democrats are tempted to be happy the GOP is welcoming back the likes of Manafort, Navarro, Steve Bannon, George Papadopoulos, Roger Stone, Rick Gates, or any other former Trump confidant with a prison sentence in their past.
For the country as a whole, it reflects the sad reality of present-day politics. Regardless, at Steady we consider it an honor and a privilege to keep you informed. Your trust is what keeps us going.
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Dan
Every one of these criminals belongs in prison. Peter Navarro deserves this. I’m guessing Trump will be locked up early to mid next year.
Truly sad and scary times for America. And of course this is just the tip of the iceberg. Allowing Texas to round up anyone they suspect of being an illegal immigrant is so unAmerican, at least the America we were taught about in school. Of course we have a long long history of roudning up and lynching at will persons of color so we should not be surprised at the ok for Texas to again do this, but saddened and hopefully angered enough to worker harder to get Biden and other Democrats elected. How do the legal immigrants feel about Trump calling persons of their nationality animals , not even people. I am horrified and disgusted, but again we have a history of this, and in fact persons of color who were slaves were in fact basically counted at livestock for tax purposes. Let's all work a little harder than we thought we could to make sure American does better.