Pod Force One
“Peter Navarro Exposes The Biggest Liar in Big Tech & The Politicians Bought By China”
Host: Miranda Devine (New York Post)
Guest: Peter Navarro (President Trump’s Senior Counselor for Trade and Manufacturing)
Date: February 25, 2026

Episode Overview

This episode features an in-depth, unfiltered conversation between Miranda Devine and Peter Navarro. They dissect the fallout from the Supreme Court’s rejection of Trump-era tariffs, the program’s alternatives, the influence of China on American politics, lobbying from Big Tech (with direct accusations against Apple’s Tim Cook), the return of U.S. manufacturing, and the weaponization of the justice system against Trump affiliates. Navarro also tells personal stories from his own life, his recent arrest, and outlines the Trump administration’s renewed focus as the U.S. approaches the 2026 midterms.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Supreme Court Tariff Ruling and Trump Administration’s Plan B

[00:23–05:41]

• Navarro Downplays Court’s Blow: The Supreme Court “did one thing and one thing only. It struck down the use of tariffs under the International Economic Emergency Powers act (IEEPA).” The administration anticipated this and has fallback authorities (Sections 301, 232, 122, etc.).
  • Navarro explains that Section 301 tariffs (used since 2018) remain intact, are being extended, and empower the U.S. Trade Representative to add countries “to the 301 investigations” ([01:36]).
• Congressional Authority over Tariffs: Navarro criticizes the Court’s logic seeing tariffs as taxes and credits Justice Kavanaugh’s dissent.
  • Quote: “Justice Kavanaugh, which I think is the smartest one in the room on this, wrote a very eloquent dissent…” ([02:50])
• Future of Tariff Policy: The Supreme Court’s ruling, says Navarro, “actually significantly strengthened virtually every other power that the President has.”

2. Do Tariffs Cause Consumer Pain?

[05:41–09:38]

• On Refunds & Litigation: Trump’s view: “The court… don’t give us any guidance or say anything at all about refunds. And what that is going to entail is years, years of litigation.” ([05:48])
• Economic Data Debunk Tariff Myths: According to Navarro, foreigners—not American consumers—bear the cost of tariffs. He disputes studies suggesting the contrary: “There’s no evidence in the inflation data of that.”
• Real-World Results: Navarro claims that after implementing tariffs in 2018, “all we get is low inflation, robust growth, and a beautiful Trump economy” ([07:25]). He insists repeated predictions of economic doom have proven false.

3. Foreign Influence and the Boardroom Pushback

[09:38–10:48]

• Trump’s View of Foreign Influence: Navarro describes a “diaspora of globalism” that puts “political pressures in many ways on our institutions” (Congress, Courts, White House).
• Lobbying by Corporate Giants: Companies like Apple (Tim Cook), Facebook (Mark Zuckerberg) lobby for exemptions—“Tim Cook… is the king of evading tariffs… he lied through his teeth and he’s doing it again.”—([10:48], direct quote)

4. Is Manufacturing Coming Back?

[11:14–16:07]

• Mixed Successes: Navarro concedes Apple is moving manufacturing to India, “not a whole lot better than being in China,” but points to $18 trillion in new investment, notably from Japan.
• Data Indicators: The “green shoots” of manufacturing are showing in the ISM Manufacturing Index, which recently “jumped five points, well into above 50 territory.” Navarro says, “Biden was just killing our manufacturing,” but the turnaround is visible now with new steel mills, chip factories, and the first new aluminum foundry ([14:37]).
• Quote: “Rome wasn’t built in a day and a factory wasn’t built in a month.” ([13:48])

5. The China Threat — Origins and Biden’s Compromise

[16:07–28:31]

• Navarro’s Academic Research: Navarro describes how China’s WTO entry led to American job losses and a series of influential books (“Death by China,” “Crouching Tiger”).
  • “China was using a mercantilist model to exploit the world—including the United States.” ([17:45])
• Definition of Mercantilism: “It’s all about cheating. Mercantilism is a model based on running large trade surpluses with the rest of the world…” ([21:09])
• Biden’s Role: Navarro and Devine both accuse Joe Biden of influencing China’s WTO entry and benefitting financially: “China identifies elites early… politicians, trips, speaking opportunities, money… that’s what happened with Biden.” ([23:39])
• National Security Risks: Navarro points to influence strategies targeting academia and politics (e.g., Eric Swalwell’s “honeypot” scandal).

6. Weaponization of the Justice System, Navarro’s Arrest

[29:36–42:15]

• No Accountability for Political Adversaries: Devine & Navarro lament the lack of prosecution for figures like Brennan, Clapper, and Comey, compared to the aggressive criminalization of Trump officials.
  • Quote: “If we don’t hold these people accountable, we know they’re going to do it again.” ([32:21])
• Personal Story—Navarro’s ‘Circus Arrest’: Navarro recounts his airport arrest (“three armed agents coming behind me, another three coming at me from the plane”—36:00–38:00). His fiancée was perp-walked: “That was a bridge too far.” ([38:54])
• Legal Battle over Executive Privilege: Navarro sees his prosecution for defying a Congressional subpoena as a threat to executive privilege, and is determined to take his appeal to SCOTUS.

7. Navarro’s Personal Background and Worldview

[42:15–48:00]

• Formative Years: Navarro grew up poor; parents divorced young. He credits hardship for his resilience, echoing the backgrounds of other Trump administration figures.
• Peace Corps & Early Lessons on China: His time in Thailand exposed him to regional skepticism of Chinese economic influence.
• Trump Administration Team: Navarro contrasts the current (second-term) team’s cohesion and loyalty—“Everything’s infinitely better from a personnel point of view” ([47:03]).

8. 2026 Midterm Outlook: Affordability, Immigration, and Crime

[51:16–62:00]

• Key Voter Issues: Navarro welcomes a debate over “affordability,” blaming Democrats for inflation through fiscal recklessness and green policies (“war on beef,” war on oil/gas) that drive up food and energy prices ([53:22]).
• Border and Deportation: Navarro details the economic and criminal costs of illegal immigration: “800 Americans will likely be murdered if we don’t deport those 20 million,” plus thousands more crimes. ([57:50])
  • He insists “the American people by a significant majority still support the mass deportations, full stop.” ([63:22])
• Corporate Interests in Immigration: Republicans and business lobby for cheap labor “but the taxpayer is subsidizing those companies… paying these slaves slave wages.” ([60:09])

9. U.S. Policy Toward China—Looking Ahead

[76:09–80:56]

• Meeting President Xi: Navarro says Trump’s meetings with world leaders are about “keeping the peace” and “solving complex global challenges.” Trump is “tough on China” with tariffs nearing “close to 50%” ([77:53]).
• Rare Earth Independence: Navarro predicts the U.S. will break free from Chinese rare earths “in months rather than years.”—“American innovation is moving literally at the speed of light to take away that advantage.” ([77:55])
• Tech & Pharma: The U.S. is closing gaps in critical minerals, pharmaceuticals, and semiconductors, with Navarro attributing this agility to Trump’s leadership and vision.

10. Final Thoughts & Personal Reflections

[81:12–82:15]

• Success Secret: “Stay on mission… If you know where you need to go, you can’t let yourself be detoured from that.” ([81:25])
• **Devine compliments Navarro and the Trump team’s “true grit” and resilience in the face of unprecedented political and legal obstacles.

Notable Quotes & Moments

• On Tim Cook: “He’s the king of evading tariffs. And we let him get away with it in the first term… he lied through his teeth and he’s doing it again.” ([10:48], Peter Navarro)
• On Biden & China: “Joe Biden… got to the pinnacle, but he never understood… these people were just using you as their puppet.” ([26:07], Peter Navarro)
• On Manufacturing’s Return: “We had $18 trillion of new investment pledged since the tariffs and because of the tariffs.” ([11:28], Peter Navarro)
• On Weaponization of Justice: “The Democrats said the same crap the last time and it was BS then that they’re saying now and it’s BS now.” ([08:53], Navarro)
• On His Arrest: “It was like a circus arrest… 20 FBI agents monitoring my movements… took my phone… I was leg chained in the same cell as John Hinckley.” ([35:25–38:14], Navarro)
• On Resilience: “I view what we do here is essentially similar to soldiering… But when they did that to her [fiancée], that was a bridge too far.” ([38:54], Navarro)
• On U.S. Innovation Overcoming China: “Whenever they put that kind of pressure on American people and entrepreneurs… we are able to respond very, very quickly in innovative ways.” ([77:55], Navarro)
• On Staying Focused: “Stay on mission… let all the stuff flying around you just fly around you without it bothering you.” ([81:25], Navarro)

Timestamps for Key Segments

• Tariff Ruling & Plan B – [00:23–05:41]
• Do Tariffs Harm Consumers? – [05:41–09:38]
• Big Tech Lobbying & Tim Cook – [09:38–10:48]
• Manufacturing’s Return – [11:14–16:07]
• China & WTO Entry – [16:07–28:31]
• Weaponized Justice, Navarro’s Arrest – [29:36–42:15]
• Personal Background & Worldview – [42:15–48:00]
• Midterm Outlook: Economy, Immigration – [51:16–62:00]
• Navarro on Trump’s China Policy – [76:09–80:56]
• Success Secret – [81:25]

Overall Tone

Direct, confrontational, unapologetically partisan and combative. Navarro mixes legal, economic, and personal narrative with frequent, unguarded criticisms of political opponents and perceived “deep state” actors, while Devine brings journalistic background and pointed questions. The discussion is urgent, with a tone of vindication and readiness for upcoming political battles.

This summary captures all substantive aspects of the conversation and serves as a comprehensive guide for listeners wishing to understand the episode’s content and arguments without the need to listen.