Podcast Summary: What Really Happened in 2020 with Peter Navarro

The Charlie Kirk Show | Host: Charlie Kirk
Guest: Peter Navarro | Date: September 28, 2021

Episode Overview

Charlie Kirk sits down with Peter Navarro, former Trump White House trade advisor and author of In Trump Time, to dissect the tumultuous final year of the Trump administration. The conversation centers on the 2020 presidential election, the COVID-19 pandemic’s origins, internal White House struggles, and the future of the America First movement. Through candid insights, Navarro shares behind-the-scenes perspectives on election controversies, the role of establishment Republicans, and confrontations inside the Trump White House ― all while previewing his book and urging listeners to get involved in grassroots action.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Purpose and Importance of In Trump Time

• Peter Navarro (01:59): Stresses that his book is a “journal, literally America’s plague year,” covering the last year of the Trump administration.
  • The book aims to uncover the truth behind:
    • The 2020 election (November 3rd)
    • The events of January 6th
    • The Wuhan lab origins of COVID-19
• Navarro details the importance of understanding both "heroes and villains" within the administration, emphasizing transparency.

2. Dissecting the 2020 Election: What Went Wrong?

• Mail-in Ballots and Unpreparedness (04:24):
  • Navarro argues the Trump campaign and parts of the GOP were unprepared for changes in voting laws and the surge of mail-in ballots.
  • Noted “incompetence” and “treachery” among some within the campaign.
• Long-Term Planning by Democrats (05:15):
  • “They literally began preparing to steal that election, literally the nanosecond after Donald Trump got elected.”
    (Peter Navarro, 05:24)
  • He laments that the campaign had information on vulnerabilities but “did not act on” it.
• Aftermath and the Navarro Reports (05:57):
  • On Thanksgiving Day, Navarro began compiling reports on election irregularities.
  • These reports, which he says have influenced state audits, break down alleged fraud and statistical anomalies.

3. Georgia and the Role of Republican Officials

• Undermining from Within (09:50):
  • Navarro and Kirk discuss Georgia’s Governor Brian Kemp and Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger, characterizing their actions as undermining Trump.
  • “There was a lack of ability to see very clearly just how treacherous that Brian Kemp and Raffensperger were.”
    (Peter Navarro, 10:19)
• Secretary of State Strategy (10:45):
  • Navarro explains that Democrats targeted Secretary of State offices knowing their central role in elections.
  • “In Arizona and Georgia, Charlie, those are Republicans, right? Those are Republicans that screwed the President and that, that, you know, shame, shame on them. Shame on the Republican Party.”
    (Peter Navarro, 11:17)
• Corporate Influence:
  • Cites corporate interests (Coca-Cola, Delta) as motivating factors for establishment GOP resistance to the MAGA agenda.

4. Election Interference: Social Media, Money, and Administration

• Social Media and Hunter Biden (13:13):
  • Navarro claims that suppression of stories and administrative manipulation was integral to the outcome.
• Zuckerberg’s $400 Million (13:49):
  • Both agree that financial influence from tech billionaires fueled unprecedented election interference.

5. Deep Dive: Arizona Audit and Alleged Fraud

• Audit Findings (14:25):
  • Navarro asserts that the Arizona audit found over “50,000 votes that are illegal in Arizona” ― far exceeding the Biden margin.
    • “Those ballots alone, Charlie, by the Navarro Report math, say that Trump won Arizona and that’s that. They’re just getting started.”
      (Peter Navarro, 16:36)
• Canvas vs. Count (19:54):
  • Emphasizes the difference between vote tally (the “count”) and legality (the “canvas”).
  • Claims "20% of those votes are illegal" and that this distinction is overlooked by mainstream media.

6. Inside the White House: Fauci, Mnuchin & Internal Struggles

• Fauci’s Influence (21:59):
  • Navarro describes Anthony Fauci as “arrogant, full of hubris, and he’s going to stab the president in the back.”
    • “At every turn, he tried to stick knives in the back and chest of the President of the United States... to feather his own nest and big pharma’s nest.”
      (Peter Navarro, 23:27)
• Why Trump Didn’t Fire Fauci (21:21):
  • Kirk posits that making Fauci a martyr would have been counterproductive but suggests Trump should have minimized his influence.
• Holding China Accountable — Blocked Efforts (24:41):
  • Navarro describes attempts to launch an executive order for a commission on the origins and costs of COVID-19, which were stymied by Steven Mnuchin and Treasury allies.
  • “By the time you get to the end of the book, I think it’ll be a toss up as to whether Fauci or Mnuchin did more damage to this Republic.”
    (Peter Navarro, 25:18)
• Missed Opportunities (27:58):
  • Navarro calls failing to hold China financially accountable for COVID-19 “the biggest regret” from his White House tenure, estimating the cost to the US as “north of $20 trillion.”

7. The MAGA Movement’s Future & Trump 2024

• Saboteurs Inside the Administration (30:41):
  • Navarro lays out how officials like Mattis, Tillerson, Mnuchin, & Kelly “actively undermined” Trump’s agenda and ignored chain of command.
    • “Shame on them. I think McMaster fell into the same crew but there were others.”
      (Peter Navarro, 31:40)
• 2024 Vision (32:19):
  • Navarro foresees Trump running again and inheriting even greater challenges: “significant stagflation,” international instability, and a fractured GOP.
  • Outlines pillars of Trumpism: corporate tax cuts, energy dominance, deregulation, and “fair trade for American workers.”
• Action for Listeners (35:25):
  • “Action, action, action. Get involved.”
    (Peter Navarro, 35:26)
  • Encourages grassroots activism, local political engagement, and supporting forensic audits.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On the Election:
  “They literally began preparing to steal that election, literally the nanosecond after Donald Trump got elected.”
  — Peter Navarro (05:24)

• On the White House’s Internal Divisions:
  “We had Mattis, we had Tillerson, we had Mnuchin, we had John Kelly, we had all sorts of people who really did not support the Trump agenda and in many cases actively undermined it. Did not obey the chain of command.”
  — Peter Navarro (31:06)

• On Fauci:
  “At every turn, at every turn, he tried to stick knives in the back and chest of the President of the United States... to feather his own nest and big pharma’s nest.”
  — Peter Navarro (23:27)

• Advice to Listeners:
  “Action, action, action. Get involved... if you want a great future, you’re going to have to help shape it with Trumpism and Donald Trump.”
  — Peter Navarro (35:26)

Timestamps for Major Segments

• [01:33] Show Introduction & Peter Navarro’s opening remarks
• [03:49] Opening discussion of 2020 election vulnerabilities
• [04:24] Navarro on unpreparedness and missed warnings pre-election
• [09:54] Georgia’s role; impact of Republican officials & consent decree
• [13:13] Election interference: social media, ballots, administrative issues
• [14:25] Arizona audit — findings and implications
• [21:25] Anthony Fauci, internal White House struggles
• [24:41] Attempts to hold China accountable
• [30:41] Internal sabotage, discussing major figures who opposed Trump
• [32:19] Vision for Trump 2024, movement forward
• [35:25] Navarro’s call to action for grassroots activists

Episode Tone

Unapologetically partisan and combative, the conversation is steeped in the urgent, “fight-the-establishment” tone characteristic of the show, with a focus on exposing both Democratic and Republican elites who opposed the Trump agenda. Navarro brings a sense of historical record-keeping and personal grievance, while both he and Kirk call for resolve and grassroots mobilization looking toward 2022 and 2024.

For more:

• Visit CharlieKirk.com
• Find Peter Navarro’s book In Trump Time for a deeper dive.