WARNING Trump May Promote Trade-Hater

Just when you things can't get worse.

President Trump could soon promote Peter Navarro, a trade policy adviser, to a more powerful position in the White House, reports The New York Times.

Notes NYT:

Mr. Navarro’s ascendance may signal that the balance of power is shifting toward those who have backed Mr. Trump’s get-tough approach to trade policy and away from those who have sought to restrain it.

The president has agreed to promote Mr. Navarro to assistant to the president from his current role as deputy assistant, giving him more access to top strategy meetings, said two trade experts close to the White House, who requested anonymity to discuss plans that weren’t yet public....

White House trade policy has been rocked in recent weeks by the departure of Rob Porter, a former aide accused of domestic violence, who had organized regular meetings for the trade staff. John F. Kelly, the White House chief of staff who imposed order on the West Wing through a strict hierarchy that left Mr. Navarro out of high-level meetings, has also been beset by rumors that he has lost standing in the White House over a series of recent negative events.

Amid the tumult, Mr. Navarro has been able to leverage a close personal relationship with the president to gain more access, a third trade expert close to the White House said.

Navvaro is a Neadrenthal when it comes to trade thinking. His understanding of trade certainly has not advanced beyond the pre-Adam Smith mercantilist views.

He is a very dangerous man to be close to the president. His advice could cause the country's global trade to be narrowed. Something that would do nothing but shrink the economy.

 -RW