Trump reacts to Supreme Court’s failure to keep Peter Navarro out of prison: ‘It’s a disgrace’

While heading to his local Palm Beach, Florida precinct to vote in the state’s primary election, 2024 presumptive GOP nominee Donald Trump said it was a "disgrace" that the Supreme Court ruled against his former advisor Peter Navarro. Navarro was looking to stay out of prison while he appealed conviction on contempt of Congress charges.

"Do you think the supreme court should have kept peter navarro out of prison?" A reporter asked.

Trump, who was heading to the poll with wife Melania, said "I think it’s a shame, I think it’s a disgrace. It’s a disgrace to our nation what they did to him."

On Monday morning, the Supreme Court denied Navarro’s request to stay out of prison as the appeal process continues. Navarro has been sentenced to four months in prison for contempt of Congress for not complying with a subpoena from Nancy Pelosi's J6 Committee, stating that he believed Trump had invoked executive privilege over their correspondence.

Chief Justice John Roberts wrote in the decision, "The application for release pending appeal under 18 U. S. C. §3143(b) is denied. This application concerns only the question of whether the applicant, Peter Navarro, has met his burden to establish his entitlement to relief under the Bail Reform Act."

"The Court of Appeals disposed of the proceeding on the ground that Navarro 'forfeited' any argument in this release proceeding challenging the District Court’s conclusion that 'executive privilege was not invoked,' 'forfeited any challenge' to the conclusion that relief would not be required in any event because of the qualified nature of executive privilege, and 'forfeited any challenge' to the conclusion that apart from executive privilege, he was still obligated to appear before Congress and answer questions seeking information outside the scope of the asserted privilege. Order in No. 24–3006 (DC, Mar. 14, 2024). I see no basis to disagree with the determination that Navarro forfeited those arguments in the release proceeding, which is distinct from his pending appeal on the merits."

At sentencing, Navarro’s team argued that he believed he could not comply with the committee’s subpoena due to executive privilege.

"When I received that congressional subpoena…I had an honest belief that the privilege had been invoked," Navarro said to US District Judge Amit Mehta.

Speaking in Miami before turning himself in, Navarro said he was "not nervous" to report to prison, but instead "afraid for this country because this, what they’re doing should have a chilling effect on every American regardless of their party."

"They’ve come for me, they can come for you," he said.