Peter Navarro Defends Tariff Measure, Says Trump ‘Fighting a Drug War’

Navarro said the ‘de minimis’ rule allowed China to exploit a loophole to smuggle fentanyl and other drugs into the United States.

Peter Navarro, White House senior counselor for trade and manufacturing, speaks to reporters at the White House in Washington on Feb. 4, 2025. Madalina Vasiliu/The Epoch Times

WASHINGTON—Peter Navarro, White House senior counselor for trade and manufacturing, defended the Trump administration’s use of tariffs on Mexico, Canada, and China to curb the flow of fentanyl into the United States.

“The president is fighting a drug war. This is not a trade war,” Navarro said on Tuesday during a Politico Playbook event.