Peter Navarro Interrupted by Heckler While Pleading for Cash: ‘Traitor’

Peter Navarro, former aide to ex-President Donald Trump, was heckled by a familiar face Tuesday as he left a Washington, D.C., courthouse after a jury panel was selected in his criminal trial on contempt of Congress charges.

Navarro, who served as Trump’s trade adviser and promoted claims of voter fraud in the 2020 election, is facing two misdemeanor charges, accused of failing to comply with a deposition request and a subpoena by the House committee investigating the January 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol. His trial is scheduled to begin Wednesday.

Each count against Navarro carries up to one year in prison and a maximum fine of $100,000. The 74-year-old has pleaded not guilty.

While speaking with reporters outside the courthouse Tuesday, Navarro complained that the trials against him are “very expensive” and asked supporters to visit his online fundraiser to donate to his legal fight against “the Democrats’ lawfare.” However, Navarro struggled to announce the site’s URL without being interrupted by nearby hecklers—one with whom he already tussled last week.

In a video of the interaction posted by C-SPAN communications director Howard Mortman to X, formerly Twitter, Navarro has to take several pauses while trying to provide the link to his fundraiser, due to a protester off camera that repeatedly blows into a whistle to interrupt him. Another protester standing behind Navarro holds a sign that reads “Trump Lost” and “Prison Boys.”

That heckler, identified by the Republicans Against Trump account as the user SatireAP on X, also interrupted Navarro’s statements to the press last week after a judge ruled that he could not use executive privilege as a defense against his contempt charges. Navarro had attempted to grab a sign that SatireAP was holding behind him last week, to which the heckler replied, “Bro, you’re already facing charges.”

Another protester standing behind Navarro on Tuesday, who held a sign that read “Stop hating each other because you disagree,” told SatireAP to “let the man talk, he has every right to talk,” as she continued to interrupt him. In response, the heckler yelled, “No, he’s a traitor. Traitor.”

Navarro then told reporters to “please play” the heckling on their “channels, because this is just wrong.”

“I’m trying to speak about serious constitutional issues with you,” he added, gesturing to the nearby protesters. “Clown with a whistle, witch with a broom. Go figure.”

As Navarro finally does provide the link to his defense fund, the heckler behind him points to a part of her sign that reads, “Lying Pete Needs Money.”

While appearing on Real America’s Voice last week, Navarro also urged supporters to make donations, claiming that his contempt case will likely cost him up to $750,000 to take through trial. As of Tuesday night, his website had raised $441,892 out of its goal of $495,000.

Newsweek reached out to Navarro’s lawyer, Stanley Woodward Jr., via email for comment Tuesday night.