Trump stalking

Economist Peter Navarro, the onetime perennial San Diego candidate for office who is now one of Donald Trump’s top trade advisors, has his own way of influencing policy, according to Politico.

“Navarro has earned a reputation for stalking the halls of the West Wing at night and on the weekends to find a moment to slip into the Oval Office to privately discuss trade with the president, according to one White House official and a close adviser to the administration. It’s his way of maintaining influence through proximity.”

With the arrival of retired Marine general John F. Kelly as Trump’s chief gatekeeper, that may have become harder, but nobody is yet writing off Navarro, described as “a one-man, anti-China trade warrior.” Said an unnamed administration official, “I don’t think there’s anybody in the White House who pushes harder for things...[Navarro] doesn’t give up on any idea or draft policy even when faced with hurdles or daunting challenges.”