MILWAUKEE—Former Trump trade adviser Peter Navarro received enthusiastic cheers at the Republican National Convention just hours after his release from prison. Navarro, who completed a four-month sentence for refusing to cooperate with a congressional investigation into the January 6, 2021, U.S. Capitol attack, addressed the crowd in Milwaukee, placing the riot at the forefront of the convention’s discussions.
Navarro’s release from a Miami prison early in the day allowed him to fly to the convention. He criticized the committee that investigated the Capitol attack and portrayed his imprisonment as proof of his loyalty to former President Donald Trump.
“The J6 committee demanded that I betray Donald John Trump to save my own skin,” Navarro declared, emphasizing his refusal to comply with the investigators. His statements marked the first significant discussion of the Capitol riot during the RNC, which had largely focused on other topics like the economy, national security, and immigration.
“I went to prison so you won’t have to,” Navarro told the supportive crowd, calling himself “your wakeup call.”
Navarro’s speech, which lasted more than 10 minutes, lambasted what he called the “lawfare jackals” responsible for his imprisonment and featured an onstage embrace with his fiancée to a cheering audience. The scene was reminiscent of Trump rallies, where the former president often refers to those convicted over the January 6 events as “hostages.”
In an interview with The Associated Press before his speech, Navarro claimed his case illustrated what he describes as the Biden administration’s effort to use the judiciary to target political opponents. He argued that controlling the government was essential to prevent it from controlling the people.
“If we don’t control the government, the government will control us,” Navarro asserted, echoing a common GOP sentiment. He also aimed to convey a message of unity, seeking to attract disillusioned Democrats to support Trump.
Although Navarro highlighted perceived judicial bias against Trump and his allies during President Joe Biden’s tenure, he emphasized the need to win over not just Republicans but the entire nation. He believes many mainstream Democrats are disenchanted with the radical left and could find common ground with Trump’s policies.
Trump has claimed that the Justice Department has politically targeted him, pointing to his various legal challenges as well as the charges brought against Biden’s son, Hunter. Despite the accusations, Attorney General Merrick Garland has defended the department’s independence and adherence to the law.
Navarro, who reported to a federal prison in March, described his conviction as a result of partisan judicial weaponization. He was subpoenaed for promoting false voter fraud claims and maintains he couldn’t comply due to Trump’s invocation of executive privilege—a defense courts have dismissed.
Following in the footsteps of Steve Bannon, another Trump ally who recently started his prison term for contempt of Congress, Navarro remains a staunch defender of Trump’s narrative. The House committee investigating the Capitol insurrection concluded that Trump engaged in a conspiracy to overturn his defeat, though Trump denies any wrongdoing.
By putting his loyalty to Trump at the center, Navarro seeks to galvanize the Republican base while reaching out to disaffected voters, presenting himself as a fighter for significant principles ahead of the 2024 election.