Former White House aide Peter Navarro on April 4 said that the move to indict President Donald Trump and his allies is “a crossing the Rubicon kind of event” for Democrats.
Navarro made the comments during an appearance on NTD. Manhattan District Attorney (DA) Alvin Bragg, who is leading the case against Trump, is poised to release the list of charges against Trump on the afternoon of April 4.
Trump is accused of making a “hush money” payment to porn actress Stormy Daniels during the 2016 presidential election. Daniels claims the two had an affair in 2006, a charge that Trump denies. Further, the charges against Trump are considered misdemeanors past the statute of limitations that Bragg has elevated to a felony.
During his appearance on NTD, Navarro suggested that the charges were so unjust that moving ahead with the indictment constitutes “a crossing the Rubicon kind of event” for Trump’s enemies.
“It’s pure persecution that stems from the clear weaponization of our government for partisan purposes,” Navarro said when asked his opinion on the issue.
“This is unprecedented,” Navarro said. “Today is a very historic day in the sense that they’ve really gone too far.”
Executive Privilege
A key aspect of Navarro’s comments focused on the U.S. legal principle of executive privilege.
Navarro is under federal investigation for contempt of Congress due to his refusal to appear before the Jan. 6 panel during the last Congress. Like other Trump advisers, Navarro has claimed that executive privilege protected him from cooperating with the probe. Executive privilege is a U.S. legal tradition whereby the president is immune to specific congressional inquiries and subpoenas because he is the commander-in-chief and key national security figure.
Navarro still faces criminal proceedings for alleged contempt of Congress and faces up to two years in prison if convicted.
“[Trump] is the first president in our history of our republic to ever be indicted on a criminal charge,” Navarro said. “I myself am the first senior White House adviser and alter ego to the President ever to be charged with contempt of Congress. So these are like crossing the Rubicon kind of events.”
Navarro denounced Biden’s effort to strip Trump and his advisers of executive privilege as part of the larger weaponization of the federal government.
“Executive privilege … is something that goes back to the days of George Washington,” Navarro said. “It’s an institution in this country designed to enhance effective executive decision-making by ensuring the separation of powers, and of course, Biden has attacked that one head-on.”
Specifically, Biden has attempted to retroactively withdraw the claims of Trump and his aides using executive privilege.
During the interview, Navarro was asked what concerns he has about the effort to undermine the doctrine of executive privilege.
“I want to again reiterate what executive privilege means,” Navarro replied. “The word ‘privilege’ has kind of got a sketchy connotation these days, the way it’s been bandied about by the woke left, but executive privilege, again, goes back to George Washington.”
Navarro explained, “When [Washington] was president, he noticed that the legislative branch, that is, Congress, was trying to encroach upon the executive branch’s responsibilities. So the principle of separation of powers says that the President himself and his top advisors, who are treated identical to the president … have this executive privilege, meaning that they cannot be subpoenaed by Congress to testify or provide documents.”
The move to strip Trump and his advisers of executive privilege marks a sharp departure from previous Department of Justice (DOJ) policy, Navarro said. For over 50 years, the DOJ has worked on the assumption of complete testimonial immunity for the president and his advisors.
During the last Congress, however, Navarro and former Trump aide Steve Bannon were indicted for contempt of Congress after refusing to cooperate with the Jan. 6 panel.
“There’s no precedent, there’s no case law, there’s nothing, not a zip” to justify the change, Navarro said. “It’s a ridiculous kind of thing, but for me, it was the tell in the whole case because it revealed the true partisan nature of it.”
Agent Provocateurs
During the interview, Navarro expressed concern that protests following the release of charges could be sabotaged by agent provocateurs working with the FBI, DOJ, or Antifa.
“I’m very concerned, in both New York and in Mar-a-Lago, that there will be agent provocateurs, Antifa, BLM, maybe even FBI informants trying to provoke a crowd to violence because one of the Democrats spins—for example, in the Jan. 6 thing—is that somehow we’re extremists and we incite violence,” Navarro said.
He cited reporting by Revolver News’ Darren Beattie that showed conclusively that FBI informants were in the crowd on Jan. 6. In the past, the FBI has evaded questions by Congress about its level of involvement during the Jan. 6 protest.
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“If anybody tries to incite violence, take their picture, and let’s find out whether they’re there, whether they’re in Antifa, BLM, or the FBI,” Navarro said.
Many Republicans have expressed concern about protests taking a violent turn following the announcement of charges against Trump.
Article cross-posted from our premium news partners at The Epoch Times.
Five Things New “Preppers” Forget When Getting Ready for Bad Times Ahead
The preparedness community is growing faster than it has in decades. Even during peak times such as Y2K, the economic downturn of 2008, and Covid, the vast majority of Americans made sure they had plenty of toilet paper but didn’t really stockpile anything else.
Things have changed. There’s a growing anxiety in this presidential election year that has prompted more Americans to get prepared for crazy events in the future. Some of it is being driven by fearmongers, but there are valid concerns with the economy, food supply, pharmaceuticals, the energy grid, and mass rioting that have pushed average Americans into “prepper” mode.
There are degrees of preparedness. One does not have to be a full-blown “doomsday prepper” living off-grid in a secure Montana bunker in order to be ahead of the curve. In many ways, preparedness isn’t about being able to perfectly handle every conceivable situation. It’s about being less dependent on government for as long as possible. Those who have proper “preps” will not be waiting for FEMA to distribute emergency supplies to the desperate masses.
Below are five things people new to preparedness (and sometimes even those with experience) often forget as they get ready. All five are common sense notions that do not rely on doomsday in order to be useful. It may be nice to own a tank during the apocalypse but there’s not much you can do with it until things get really crazy. The recommendations below can have places in the lives of average Americans whether doomsday comes or not.
Note: The information provided by this publication or any related communications is for informational purposes only and should not be considered as financial advice. We do not provide personalized investment, financial, or legal advice.
Secured Wealth
Whether in the bank or held in a retirement account, most Americans feel that their life’s savings is relatively secure. At least they did until the last couple of years when de-banking, geopolitical turmoil, and the threat of Central Bank Digital Currencies reared their ugly heads.
It behooves Americans to diversify their holdings. If there’s a triggering event or series of events that cripple the financial systems or devalue the U.S. Dollar, wealth can evaporate quickly. To hedge against potential turmoil, many Americans are looking in two directions: Crypto and physical precious metals.
There are huge advantages to cryptocurrencies, but there are also inherent risks because “virtual” money can become challenging to spend. Add in the push by central banks and governments to regulate or even replace cryptocurrencies with their own versions they control and the risks amplify. There’s nothing wrong with cryptocurrencies today but things can change rapidly.
As for physical precious metals, many Americans pay cash to keep plenty on hand in their safe. Rolling over or transferring retirement accounts into self-directed IRAs is also a popular option, but there are caveats. It can often take weeks or even months to get the gold and silver shipped if the owner chooses to close their account. This is why Genesis Gold Group stands out. Their relationship with the depositories allows for rapid closure and shipping, often in less than 10 days from the time the account holder makes their move. This can come in handy if things appear to be heading south.
Lots of Potable Water
One of the biggest shocks that hit new preppers is understanding how much potable water they need in order to survive. Experts claim one gallon of water per person per day is necessary. Even the most conservative estimates put it at over half-a-gallon. That means that for a family of four, they’ll need around 120 gallons of water to survive for a month if the taps turn off and the stores empty out.
Being near a fresh water source, whether it’s a river, lake, or well, is a best practice among experienced preppers. It’s necessary to have a water filter as well, even if the taps are still working. Many refuse to drink tap water even when there is no emergency. Berkey was our previous favorite but they’re under attack from regulators so the Alexapure systems are solid replacements.
For those in the city or away from fresh water sources, storage is the best option. This can be challenging because proper water storage containers take up a lot of room and are difficult to move if the need arises. For “bug in” situations, having a larger container that stores hundreds or even thousands of gallons is better than stacking 1-5 gallon containers. Unfortunately, they won’t be easily transportable and they can cost a lot to install.
Water is critical. If chaos erupts and water infrastructure is compromised, having a large backup supply can be lifesaving.
Pharmaceuticals and Medical Supplies
There are multiple threats specific to the medical supply chain. With Chinese and Indian imports accounting for over 90% of pharmaceutical ingredients in the United States, deteriorating relations could make it impossible to get the medicines and antibiotics many of us need.
Stocking up many prescription medications can be hard. Doctors generally do not like to prescribe large batches of drugs even if they are shelf-stable for extended periods of time. It is a best practice to ask your doctor if they can prescribe a larger amount. Today, some are sympathetic to concerns about pharmacies running out or becoming inaccessible. Tell them your concerns. It’s worth a shot. The worst they can do is say no.
If your doctor is unwilling to help you stock up on medicines, then Jase Medical is a good alternative. Through telehealth, they can prescribe daily meds or antibiotics that are shipped to your door. As proponents of medical freedom, they empathize with those who want to have enough medical supplies on hand in case things go wrong.
Energy Sources
The vast majority of Americans are locked into the grid. This has proven to be a massive liability when the grid goes down. Unfortunately, there are no inexpensive remedies.
Those living off-grid had to either spend a lot of money or effort (or both) to get their alternative energy sources like solar set up. For those who do not want to go so far, it’s still a best practice to have backup power sources. Diesel generators and portable solar panels are the two most popular, and while they’re not inexpensive they are not out of reach of most Americans who are concerned about being without power for extended periods of time.
Natural gas is another necessity for many, but that’s far more challenging to replace. Having alternatives for heating and cooking that can be powered if gas and electric grids go down is important. Have a backup for items that require power such as manual can openers. If you’re stuck eating canned foods for a while and all you have is an electric opener, you’ll have problems.
Don’t Forget the Protein
When most think about “prepping,” they think about their food supply. More Americans are turning to gardening and homesteading as ways to produce their own food. Others are working with local farmers and ranchers to purchase directly from the sources. This is a good idea whether doomsday comes or not, but it’s particularly important if the food supply chain is broken.
Most grocery stores have about one to two weeks worth of food, as do most American households. Grocers rely heavily on truckers to receive their ongoing shipments. In a crisis, the current process can fail. It behooves Americans for multiple reasons to localize their food purchases as much as possible.
Long-term storage is another popular option. Canned foods, MREs, and freeze dried meals are selling out quickly even as prices rise. But one component that is conspicuously absent in shelf-stable food is high-quality protein. Most survival food companies offer low quality “protein buckets” or cans of meat, but they are often barely edible.
Prepper All-Naturals offers premium cuts of steak that have been cooked sous vide and freeze dried to give them a 25-year shelf life. They offer Ribeye, NY Strip, and Tenderloin among others.
Having buckets of beans and rice is a good start, but keeping a solid supply of high-quality protein isn’t just healthier. It can help a family maintain normalcy through crises.
Prepare Without Fear
With all the challenges we face as Americans today, it can be emotionally draining. Citizens are scared and there’s nothing irrational about their concerns. Being prepared and making lifestyle changes to secure necessities can go a long way toward overcoming the fears that plague us. We should hope and pray for the best but prepare for the worst. And if the worst does come, then knowing we did what we could to be ready for it will help us face those challenges with confidence.
