It’s too long in coming and not nearly enough, but finally a senior Trump advisor involved in the Jan. 6 insurrection and broader attempt to keep Trump in power is sitting in prison tonight. Yep, Peter Navarro who refused a J6 Committee subpoena and got referred to the DOJ for Contempt of Congress lost his appeal. Poor Merrick Garland tried oh so hard to just try to sweep it all under the rug but in the end, as with Bannon (who infuriatingly is out free while his own appeal is pending) Garland had no choice. Navarro was tried and convicted. He appealed and lost. He was ordered to report to prison by 2pm today to begin serving his four months. In desperation Navarro filed an emergency appeal to SCOTUS. Chief Justice John Roberts caught the filing, and shot him down. So Navarro showed up at the federal prison in Miami earlier today.
Oh, he was defiant in his demeanor as he held forth with journalists outside as The Associated Press reported earlier. Navarro has insisted all along he was protected from having to testify due to Executive Privilege. Never mind that he wrote a freaking book describing many of his actions. Never mind that there’s no evidence, NONE that Trump ever invoked EP with Navarro. Never mind that Executive Privilege resides with the person currently serving as President and not with former Presidents. As far as Navarro was concerned Trump had extended it. Or meant to. Perhaps as with Trump declassifying highly sensitive national security information and documents “in his mind” he telepathically told Navarro and everyone alive “Executive Privilege for Navoarro.”
It’s b.s. of course and always was. So today we had the grandstanding of Navarro playing victim. Of claiming a travesty of justice. From the AP:
Navarro was defiant in remarks to reporters before he headed to the federal prison in Miami, calling his conviction the “partisan weaponization of the judicial system.”
He went on to say:
“When I walk in that prison today, the justice system — such as it is — will have done a crippling blow to the constitutional separation of powers and executive privilege,” Navarro told reporters Tuesday.
Well, he put on a show, sounding a defiant tone. A no prison is going to intimidate ME type of bluster. I’d be willing to bet he’s not feeling so cocky tonight. Getting processed in is no fun. It’s meant to take the starch out of people and for a privileged person like Navarro a pretty sobering, even dehumanizing experience. Walking down the block in his prison jumpsuit with standard issue prison skivvies underneath, carrying a pile consisting of a pillow, blanket, cheap sheets and extra prison wear as other prisoner stare and even toss out catcalls had to be quite the experience. No snack, or even fancy brand name bottled water after the cell door slammed shut. Shuffling off to the dining hall and having someone dole out a spoonful of whatever items onto a metal tray. No evening snack either.
Yeah, by this time of night and knowing he’s got four months of this to endure Navarro can’t be feeling at all defiant. In fact, that just might be long enough that he decides no f**king way he’s ever going back. And sings to Jack Smith’s team like a canary. Imagine the testimony he can provide in exchange for leniency when Trump finally goes on trial for Jan 6!
Not to mention some of the others Smith chose to hold off on until AFTER Trump was tried will be checking with him. Trump might rue his decision to drag things out. At least one person who would have covered for him in his DC trial probably won’t do so. It’s also worth considering this: Smith didn’t throw the whole book at Trump in the DC indictment. He streamlined his case to maximize the chances of getting it to trial this spring. If, as seems possible SCOTUS intends to drag things out to make a trial before the election impractical if not impossible Smith might go ahead and file a superseding indictment! If Trump, with SCOTUS’ help gives him the gift of time then why not?
Well, for now I’m going to sleep a little better tonight knowing a key person in Trump’s plot to stay in power is NOT sleeping well tonight. If at all. I hope that asshole Navarro tosses and turns all night long. Complete with quiet taunting from nearby cells about what he can “look forward to” in the days, weeks and months ahead.” I doubt anything truly bad will happen to him. However, think back to when you were young and did something stupid and you had to “wait for dad to get home.” (Or mom) Those hours of knowing punishment was coming was often worse than the actual punishment!
I’m rather enjoying the idea that’s what Navarro is experiencing tonight. Four months isn’t nearly enough time in prison as far as I’m concerned. However it more than nothing. It’s a least a start into making those in the top circles of Trump’s plot to stay in in the WH suffer some consequences. That my friends is something to feel good about tonight.
What I want to know is when is STEVE BANNON going to prison?! Peter Navarro is far less dangerous than Bannon. He’s been relatively quiet & out of sight for the most part. Steven Bannon is the one holding hours long podcasts every day, spouting the Trump lies about the Big lie & stolen elections along with other ridiculous & dangerous conspiracy theories & contribute to ramping up the MAGAS.
LOCK STEVE BANNON UP!! LOCK HIM UP! LOCK HIM UP! LOCK HIM UP! LOCK HIM UP! LOCK HIM UP! LOCK HIM UP! LOCK HIM UP! LOCK HIM UP! LOCK HIM UP!
The DC Circuit heard oral arguments on Bannon’s appeal way the f**k back on Nov. 9. Now, over FOUR MONTHS have passed and they haven’t said jack sh*t. What the hell is the goddamned holdup? From the questioning it seemed clear the panel hearing the appeal wasn’t buying Bannon’s EP claim, noting that he wasn’t even in govt. service at the time any of the actions covered in his conviction took place. Not to mention there’s SCOTUS precedent going way back including and especially with Nixon that EP doesn’t cover crimes or possible crimes!
I realized judges, especially at the appellate level are overly full of themselves and have GIGANTICALLY inflated opinions about their importance. And that all of us “little people” had just better accept that from their lofty perch they and they alone will decide to get around to doing any of the even obvious stuff. To mere mortal likes you and me they feel a need to teach a lesson that they are oh so f**king special and if we dare question their status they will by god punish us. By sitting on a decision for f**king ever no matter the damage done by their doing so!
One can hope that no less than the Chief Justice in polite judicial terms told Navarro ‘get that weak shit outa here – we’re not wasting time on this bulllshit will maybe kick start the DC Circuits into doing what they should have done months ago. Issue a ruling denying Bannon’s appeal and ordering him to report to prison within a couple of weeks of the ruling. He too can go running to SCOTUS and within two or three days be told the same thing Navarro was told – STFU and go away. To prison like the lower court ordered you to do. Do your time asshole!
I am SO sick of these judges with their “these things take time” attitudes. They, and legal pundits who act as apologists claim by federal court standards are moving “urgently” which reminds me of Inigo Montoya in the Princess Bride saying: You keep saying that. I do not think that word means what you think it means after hearing the weird do say “inconceivable” too many times.
Thanks for the update on what is happening with Bannon’s case because I wasn’t sure what was going on at all. I haven’t heard any reports on it. At least it’s in the DC courts, which will more likely than not, rule correctly if not quickly. But it doesn’t feel like it should be taking this fucking long. They need to get the lead out, though I realize they’ve been particularly busy with other Jan 6 offenders still being prosecuted.
But Bannon is a shady & depraved character who does damage to the country everyday he is running free, the same as DON THE CON. They both need to be behind bars as soon as possible, sooner rather than later.
I thought that both Bannon’s & Navarro’s cases were going through the DC courts as their common crime was to ignore their subpoenas to testify to Jan 6 committee, but notice that Navarro reported to a Federal prison in Florida today. Wonder why he’s not in a prison on DC.
Having been in the joint, and having managed to avoid the worst-case situations, I’d advise him to keep his mouth shut and his eyes open. He will be in danger…after all, that’s where the most dangerous predators that look human, reside. The system may try to protect him but no one is safe in a snake pit. Having been raised by a violent and dangerous man taught me many skills of survival. I doubt he has that training to fall back on. As Danzel Washington said in Man On Fire…there’s no such thing as tough…there’s trained…and untrained. It’s easy to talk tough to a microphone outside the pit. He will need more self discipline inside or he WILL end up regretting acting tough.
I imagine prisons are dangerous places to have to be… but is there any difference between Federal prisons & State prisons in that regards? Navarro is a relatively old man & could be kept in a more isolated area, plus it’s only for a few months.
After all, DON THE CON’S accountant Allen Weisselberg, who is also an old man survived 5 months in Rikers Island. He was placed in an infirmary unit & was not part of the general population.
There’s a difference and they can isolate people. Some can deal with isolation. Some cant.
Kinda shocked he didn’t go some place like Eglin AFB. It was a nonviolent white collar crime,,after all, plus he is old and likely not in the pink of health. The Black gangs and the Latino gangs are likely out to get him. Will the Aryan groups protect him?
State prisons are much, much worse or so they were in the south in the 1980’s. I knew a guy who would make sure that when he got caught breaking the various and sundry laws he would break, he copped to charges (more serious ones) that would mean federal sentencing and therefore a federal facility. My understanding is, and mind you-this is in the south so that might have somewhat to do with it, state prisons are hell-holes such that even super-max federal prisons are club fed by way of comparison. I don’t know if that still holds true (this was back in the 80’s) and it was in the south (AL, LA, MS). Is it different today and/or in the north? Don’t know.