White House Counselor Defends Trump’s Populist Economic Push Amid GOP Tensions
Peter Navarro, White House senior counselor for trade and manufacturing, defended President Donald Trump’s populist economic agenda Friday, slamming what he described as out-of-touch Republican leaders who have criticized those policies.
Navarro stated in a recent interview that he was “troubled” by a report that a Republican leadership figure privately urged Trump to “stop doing all that populist crap, expletive deleted.”
Navarro didn’t name the lawmaker but framed the comments as evidence that some establishment Republicans have lost touch with the movement that propelled Trump and the GOP to victory.
“Trump Republicanism is what got every one of those guys elected and control of both the House and the Senate,” he said.
Trump’s economic and security policies reflect an America First populist vision, which Navarro stated is already producing results.
He cited Trump’s aggressive restructuring of international trade relationships, his push for strong economic growth in 2026, and broad national security initiatives rooted in nationalist principles.
“Donald Trump in one year — it’s going on one year now — has fundamentally restructured the entire international trading system,” Navarro said.
“We’re going to have the fastest economic growth we’ve had in a long time without inducing inflation.”
A centerpiece of the administration’s populist economic push is Trump’s call for a one-year 10% cap on credit card interest rates, a proposal welcomed by some lawmakers and consumers but criticized by financial firms and questioned by some Republicans as unrealistic.
Navarro defended it as commonsense populism that targets what he called excessive industry profits.
Navarro listed other priorities he considers grassroots-friendly initiatives: eliminating tax on tips and overtime, barring large hedge funds from buying single-family homes to protect housing affordability, and economic policies aimed at restoring factory jobs and shrinking the trade deficit.
“So if you don’t want to support Donald Trump’s policies, get the hell out and let somebody else run who will give us a better chance of holding that majority,” Navarro said, urging critics on Capitol Hill to step aside.
Navarro’s comments underscore ongoing tensions within the GOP between nationalist populists aligned with Trump and more traditional conservative voices who warn that some proposals could alienate business interests or complicate legislative consensus ahead of the midterm elections.
