Navarro Has Had His Sights Set on Fauci Since April

White House Director of Trade and Manufacturing Policy Peter Navarro has continued the Trump Administration's smear campaign against Dr. Anthony Fauci in a broadside in U.S.A. Today. 

Navarro claims Fauci "has been wrong about everything I have interacted with him on" citing travel restrictions from China, the use of masks and the use of hyrdoxychloroquine.

It must be noted though that Navarro has had Dr. Fauci in his sights since April when the two had a row over hydroxychloroquine in the White House Situation Room. Navarro claimed studies of hydroxychloroquine showed "clear therapeutic efficacy." However, Dr. Fauci countered the evidence was anecdotal. This did not sit well with Navarro:

Fauci's mention of anecdotal evidence "just set Peter off," said one of the sources. Navarro pointed to the pile of folders on the desk, which included printouts of studies on hydroxychloroquine from around the world.

Navarro said to Fauci, "That's science, not anecdote," said another of the sources.

Navarro started raising his voice, and at one point accused Fauci of objecting to Trump's travel restrictions, saying, "You were the one who early on objected to the travel restrictions with China," saying that travel restrictions don't work. (Navarro was one of the earliest to push the China travel ban.)

Fauci looked confused, according to a source in the room. After Trump imposed the travel restrictions, Fauci has publicly praised the president's restriction on travel from China.

Pence was trying to moderate the heated discussion. "It was pretty clear that everyone was just trying to get Peter to sit down and stop being so confrontational," said one of the sources.

Eventually, Kushner turned to Navarro and said, "Peter, take yes for an answer," because most everyone agreed, by that time, it was important to surge the supply of the drug to hot zones.

The principals agreed that the administration's public stance should be that the decision to use the drug is between doctors and patients.

Trump ended up announcing at his press conference that he had 29 million doses of hydroxychloroquine in the Strategic National Stockpile.

So this is all very interesting because Navarro continues to misrepresent Fauci's views on travel restrictions on China and also continues to cite studies on hydroxychloroquine which are anecdotal. In tonight's editorial, Navarro cited a recent study from Henry Ford Medical System in Detroit touting the benefits from hydroxychloroquine. However, the Henry Ford study was not a randomized, clinical trial and hydroxychloroquine was combined with azithromycin, a steroid. 

But Navarro is a Trump loyalist and he is not going to let facts get in the way of a gaslighting. Back in April when Navarro was boasting his credentials as "a social scientist" he said of his row with Fauci “if we didn’t have disagreement and debate in the Trump administration, this administration wouldn’t be as strong as it is.” Tonight, Navarro says he listens to Fauci "with skepticism and caution". But all Navarro has accomplished is to persuade the American public to listen to him with skepticism and caution.