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Former White House trade advisor Peter Navarro says he would prove that ex-President Donald Trump "is innocent" in the January 6 Capitol riot if he were to be criminally referred by the House Select Committee over his "Green Bay Sweep" strategy.

In an interview with Newsweek, Navarro insisted that his so-called "Green Bay Sweep" strategy for January 6 that he coordinated with former chief White House strategist Stephen K. Bannon was "within the boundaries" of the U.S. Constitution and will ultimately clear Trump's name.

The end goal of the scheme was to keep Trump in office by pressuring Vice President Mike Pence to block the certification of the Electoral College votes in six battleground states, by drawing out the proceedings in 24 hours of televised hearingstwo hours of debate in each chamber per state.

"Everything that was prescribed in the Green Bay Sweep conforms with existing constitutional law," said Navarro. "We basically peacefully came to a process to examine whether the votes cast in the election were legal."

The strategy, named after the football play famously used by Vince Lombardi's Green Bay Packers, involved more than 100 congressmen and senators, including Republican Rep. Paul Gosar of Arizona and Republican Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas. The pair were the first to challenge election results in the swing state of Arizona.

Navarro described himself as "the guy who provided what we called the receipts."

"I did the the analysis that these congressmen would use in order to challenge the results," he said.

Navarro served as the Assistant to the President, Director of Trade and Manufacturing Policy, and the national Defense Production Act policy coordinator under the Trump administration.

His remarks come as the House panel probing the events that unfolded on January 6 begins to examine whether there is enough evidence to recommend that the Department of Justice (DOJ) pursue criminal cases against Trump and othersknown as sending a criminal referral.

The House Select Committee, according to people briefed on their efforts, is now looking into two specific areas of crimewhether wire fraud was committed by lawmakers off assertions that the 2020 presidential election was stolen, and obstruction of Congress by attempting to stop the certification of electoral votes.

When pressed on whether he is concerned that his "Green Bay Sweep" strategy could then be damaging to himself, the former president or his allies, and result in a criminal referral, Navarro told Newsweek he believes he is "the last person that the committee wants to mess with."

"Because I'm the guy who proves beyond any shadow of a doubt that there was no way that Donald Trump instigated any of those plots," he said.

"The notion [of a criminal referral] is absurd," Navarro continued. "I mean, there's nothing, like, they want to go there? They're barking up the wrong tree as I'm the guy who basically proves that Donald Trump is innocent. Innocent, not guilty."

"He's innocent, of instigating any of that violence along with Steve Bannon."

"We wanted peace and calm to execute a plan that was within the boundaries clearly, of the U.S. Constitution," Navarro added. "I mean, if you start charging people for doing things like that, we might as well be in the Soviet Union."

Leading constitutional law experts however are challenging Navarro's assertion that the "Green Bay Sweep" was lawful.

Erwin Chemerinsky, Dean of the UC Berkeley School of Law in California, told Newsweek that as a matter of constitutional law, what Navarro is claiming is "nonsense."

"The Electoral College had voted in accord with the procedures set out in the Constitution and federal laws. There was no basis for Vice President Pence to reject the results of the Electoral College," said Chemerinsky.

"The so-called Green Bay Sweep, as Navarro describes it, was to pressure Pence to do this or to delay the vote in Congress, with the ultimate goal of overturning the results from the Electoral College."

"There is no basis in the Constitution for this," Chemerinsky added. "It would have been an unconstitutional, illegal coup."

He added that he believes the House Select Committee "very well may" refer Navarro to the DOJ for prosecution.

Laurence H. Tribe, an American legal scholar and a University Professor Emeritus at Harvard University, told Newsweek that Navarro's strategy "wouldn't have been within the spirit, and probably not even the letter, of the U.S. Constitution."

"Navarro's plans took the bare form of legal and constitutional vessels and poured the equivalent of poisonous fluid into them," Tribe said.

"It's true that challenging the credentials of people purporting to be electors from one of the states is well within the constitutional design," he added. "But using the formality of credentials challenges to concoct factually unfounded claims of fraud that every court has rejected not only isn't constitutional; it may well be criminal, in light of the federal criminal prohibitions of seditious conspiracy and giving aid and comfort to an insurrection."

Navarro said that so far, he has not been contacted by the panel over "Green Bay Sweep."

Newsweek contacted the House Select Committee for confirmation of Navarro's remarks, but didn't hear back by press time.

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Peter Navarro Says He'd Prove Donald Trump's Innocence Over Jan. 6 If Criminally Referred - Newsweek

Its been said that the hardest words to utter in the English language are I am sorry, I need help and I was wrong.

Lately, you can add to that: Trump was right.

Not about everything, of course, as some of his most ardent fans say on T-shirts and bumperstickers. But there is some evidence that history may not judge former President Donald Trump quite as harshly as critics did last year about his response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Two such admissions came from, of all places, the White House last month. First, President Joe Biden credited the former administrations role in making vaccines available with the promised warp speed. It was a rare compliment offered by Biden to his predecessor, although others have said as much, including former Biden aide Andy Slavitt, who said last year, I would absolutely tip my hat. The Trump administration made sure that we got in record time a vaccine up and out.

Later, Biden told governors on a conference call, There is no federal solution (to COVID-19). This gets solved at the state level. People on social media were quick to point out that this was basically Trumps position. Trump told governors in April 2020 they would be calling their own shots on their respective states pandemic response.

Similarly, in 2020, Trump wanted schools to stay open, which is what Biden said Tuesday needs to happen despite some calls to temporarily return to virtual learning amid the omicron surge.

While largely critical of Trump, KFF (formerly Kaiser Family Foundation), a nonprofit that provides health policy news and analysis, credits Trump for the administrations actions taken before the World Health Organization declared COVID-19 to be a pandemic on March 11, 2020. Trump established a White House COVID-19 task force on Jan. 27, 2020, and days later, declared a public health emergency and barred foreign nationals coming from China from entering the U.S. These actions, of course, stand in contrast to Trumps cheery insistence that the virus would soon be history, but his attitude was consistent with what he later told Bob Woodward: that hed deliberately downplayed the threat so Americans wouldnt panic.

Few people would say thats an effective strategy or even an ethical one in the face of a virus that has now killed more than 800,000 Americans. National Review editor Rich Lowry wrote that Trumps strategy was a mistake, one that made him seem out of touch with reality, an incredibly perilous position for a president.

But now, looking at what COVID-19 has wrought under two presidents, Lowry is asking wheres the apology due Trump from people who blamed him for virus deaths in 2020. Lowry notes that during one of the presidential debates, Biden said, Anyone who is responsible for that many deaths should not remain as president of the United States of America.

In fact, as it turned out, more Americans died of COVID-19 in 2021 than 2020, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and Johns Hopkins University. And while this was in part because of the emergence of more contagious variants, these deaths occurred under Bidens watch with vaccines available and no shortage of personal protective equipment like the U.S. saw in 2020.

As Lowry wrote, you cant make an apples-to-apples comparison of the administrations COVID-19 response, as Biden only took office in late January, and any policy changes would take time to show up in real-world results. Also, the U.S. didnt begin counting COVID-19 deaths until late February of 2020. And Biden has largely failed to achieve what he believes to be a key weapon in the fight: vaccination mandates.

But infectious-disease specialists told The Wall Street Journal that public-health officials failed to do what needed to be done this year. Thats language that wouldnt have been afforded to Trump, who was often decried as personally responsible for the deaths of tens of thousands of Americans.

Theres plenty that Trump did wrong, including (and most obviously) his remarks about the coronavirus going away magically. The Washington Post, which keeps track of such things about Trump, counted 40 times that Trump said the virus would soon disappear. He also said repeatedly that it was basically the flu, despite his own experience with being sick.

But the longer the pandemic continues under the Biden administration, with attendant problems such as a shortage of tests, the more normal the Trump administrations response looks in the face of a once-in-a-century (we hope) pandemic. Trump is no COVID hero, but history may not judge Trump quite as harshly as his critics have, at least when it comes to the pandemic. With three years left in his administration, Biden may yet become the president who got COVID-19 under control. Unfortunately for Biden and the country, hes now the president under which the pandemic got even worse.

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Did Trump or Biden handle the pandemic better? Heres what we know | Opinion - Deseret News

Corrections & Clarifications: A previous version of this article incorrectly listed the date for Martin Luther King Jr. Day, which will be celebrated on Jan. 17, 2022.

Former President Donald J. Trump will hold a rally in Arizona inJanuary, a political action committee called Save America that is affiliated with the 45th president announced Thursday.

Trump will speak at 7 p.m. on Jan. 15 in Florence at the same location where theCountry Thunder music festival is held. It will be his firstrally appearance of 2022.

Trump's last visit to Arizona was July 24ata two-hour rally where he repeated his false claimthat he lost the Grand Canyon State to Joe Biden due to massive voter fraud. He came to the state seven times in 2020 prior to the election.

Kari Lake, one of several Republican candidates for governor in Arizona, announced her attendance for the upcoming rally on Twitter. She was endorsed by the former president in late September.

Trump's rally is not the only political action Arizona will see that Saturday.

Arizona also is scheduled to host another rally Jan. 15:one to ensure that the vote is accessible to all eligible participants.

The date marks what would have beenMartin Luther King Jr.'s 93rdbirthday, and Martin Luther King III, the son of the slaincivil rights leader,is coming to Phoenix with members of his immediate family to rally Congress to pass national voting standards.

Phoenix is the launching point for rallies across the country in the lead-up to the national holiday Jan.17, culminatingin Washington, D.C.

Tara Kavaler is a politics reporter at The Arizona Republic. She can be reached by email at tara.kavaler@arizonarepublic.com or on Twitter @kavalertara.

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Trump headed back to Arizona: Former president to hold rally in Florence on Jan. 15 - The Arizona Republic

OPINION:

What exactly is an insurrection? With January 6 upon us, the word is being bandied about by the mainstream media like a barker selling cotton candy at the county fair.

According to the Merriam-Webster dictionary, the definition of insurrection is as follows: an act or instance of revolting against civil authority or an established government.

Synonyms include rebellion, revolt, uprising, rioting and riot.

Left-leaning media outlets are having a field day stoking the flames of fear and selective history by producing hour after hour and page after page of material about the January 6, 2021 attack on the U.S. Capitol. CNN is featuring a special anniversary broadcast called Live from the Capitol: January 6, One Year Later. The show will feature interviews with a cadre of anti-Trump activists, including House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and the House January 6 Committee chairman, Bennie Thompson. I doubt they will chat with Republican Ohio Congressman Jim Jordan.

The New York Times published an editorial declaring, Every Day is Jan. 6 Now. My response is simple, No, its not.

Time magazine, at one time a reasonably reliable news source, began their coverage of the anniversary with the following: When a bipartisan House committee began investigating the January 6 insurrection its goal was simple: compile a detailed account of what happened, and make recommendations to ensure it never happens again.

Of course, its not a truly bipartisan committee. Speaker Pelosi declined to seat the Republicans chosen by GOP leader Kevin McCarthy for the committee, instead selecting the Republican representatives herself. By an amazing coincidence, those particular Republicans loathe Donald Trump. Thats kind of like Magic Johnson telling the Celtics that Larry Bird and Kevin McHale wouldnt be allowed to play, instead appointing a couple of teammates from the Lakers to pull on green uniforms and then pretending it was a fair game. The deck was stacked from the get-go. Time magazines assertion that, like the old TV show Dragnet, they wanted just the facts is either incredibly naive or totally disingenuous.

Never one to miss a political opportunity, President Joe Bidens team is propping him up in front of a teleprompter telling us how bad the Trump January 6 insurrection was. Vice President Kamala Harris will make remarks as well.

Make no mistake. The riots at the Capitol building in January of 2021 were disgraceful. They were a black eye on our freedom and our American democratic process that, at one time, was a shining example for the world. There is no public evidence, however, thus far anyway, that the riot was a premeditated attempt to overthrow the government.

There are many emails and communique to and from the Trump family and Trumps staff urging the President to speak up and tell the protesters to stand down and go home. The fact President Trump sat by and watched instead is a shameful embarrassment to him, but no evidence has been put forth that he or the very people that were begging him to speak out had a hand in some master plan.

So was it an insurrection? It depends on the media outlet.

A new mayor is taking office in New York City, a city plagued by a dramatic increase in violent crime since the anti-police policies of outgoing Mayor Bill de Blasio took effect. The new Mayor Eric Adams promises to bring back anti-crime units in the city and crack down on crime. His promise was met with something less than enthusiasm from Black Lives Matter (BLM) co-founder Hawk Newsome, who told the press corp, If they think they are going back to the old ways of policing, then were going to take to the streets again. Newsome then added a distinct threat. There will be riots. There will be fire, and there will be bloodshed.

Bloodshed? That sounds suspiciously like the definition of insurrection, yet youll never hear it called that. In fact, when BLM protesters lit police cars on fire, burned a police precinct building out, or burned down entire city blocks throughout 2020, it wasnt called an insurrection. Instead, it was referred to as a peaceful protest.

When rioters in Portland, Oregon showed up night after night for more than 70 consecutive nights, attempting to burn down the Federal Courthouse and throwing Molotov cocktails at police and federal officers, it wasnt called an insurrection.

In Seattle, Washington, when local malcontents told the city government they were creating their autonomous area, free from the city or states laws, it was the literal definition of insurrection. The mob blocked off streets and warned Seattle authorities to stay away. The progressive Seattle Mayor was initially supportive of the madness. Finally, he called for police to enter and end it when extreme violence erupted in the CHOP/CHAZ zone, including four shootings and several alleged sexual assaults.

I have no recollection of hearing the term insurrection mentioned once in Seattle or Portland. I dont recall hearing it in reference to the destructive BLM riots, which caused $2 billion in insured property damage and two dozen deaths by credible estimates.

Why was the overzealous mob from January 6, 2021, tagged with the label? Thats simple because they were wearing MAGA hats and carrying Trump flags. Much like BLM rioters werent required to wear masks at the height of COVID-19 in 2020, but Trump rallies were labeled as super spreaders, the media coverage of riots differs according to the political agenda.

This might explain why Americans trust in media is at an all-time low. According to an Edelman poll, 56% of Americans agree with the statement that Journalists and reporters are purposely trying to mislead people by saying things they know are false or gross exaggerations.

The mainstream media will breathlessly report on the domestic terrorists of one year ago, and the January 6 committee will cobble together as much innuendo as they can to suggest it was a master plan to nullify the Presidential election and take over the United States.

The real facts are this: 2020 was a year of disgraceful, violent riots that disrespected authority and endangered lives repeatedly. 2021 began with something every bit as vile, albeit by a different segment of society. Our President appears to have sat and watched the January 6 madness unfold rather than immediately taking to the airwaves and encouraging participants to disperse and go home. That may not be criminal, but it is unforgivable.

There is a line in an old Batman movie where Bruce Wayne struggles to understand why The Joker is causing so much chaos. Alfred, Waynes butler, offers a nugget of wisdom and says that sadly, Some men just like to watch it burn.

I dont believe for a minute that Trump spearheaded an organized effort to forcibly take over the U.S. government after losing the 2020 election. However, the evidence seems to show that much like the insane Joker, Trump enjoyed watching it burn. Lets hope that sad historical truth doesnt get lost in the medias ridiculous January 6 hysteria.

Excerpt from:
Insurrection, Donald Trump and The Joker - Washington Times

Trump at the Turnberry golf course.AP Photo/Scott Heppell

Trump's Scottish golf resorts have claimed millions in pandemic support from the UK government.

Both Trump Turnberry and Trump International Scotland recorded losses in the millions in 2020.

Company accounts signed by Eric Trump cite Brexit as a contributing factor to the resorts' struggles.

Former President Donald Trump's Scottish golf resorts have claimed more than $4 million in UK emergency money as the struggling businesses furloughed hundreds of staff members amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

Newly published company accounts for the two international resorts revealed the Trump Turnberry in Ayrshire and Trump International Scotland near Aberdeenshire cut 273 jobs in 2020, while also claiming $3.7 million in furlough support.

Trump relinquished control of both resorts to his sons Donald Trump Jr. and Eric Trump shortly before he was inaugurated as president in 2017 but kept financial interest in the businesses, both of which are owned by the holding company Golf Recreation Scotland Ltd.

Additional government data reviewed by The Guardian shows both resorts made further financial claims this year as the UK government's emergency job-retention program persisted.

The BBC was the first to report the resorts' additional 2021 claims, which are reportedly worth between $698,000 and $1.7 million, adding to a total between $4.4 million and $5.5 million in furlough support over two years. The new figures have not been included in the Trump companies' most recent accounts, according to The Guardian.

Trump Turnberry recorded a loss of more than $4 million in 2020 while the Aberdeenshire resort reported a loss of $1.7 million. Filings for both resorts cited the government lockdown, which required the businesses to be closed for multiple months in 2020 and into 2021, as reasons for significant staff losses.

But the accounts filed by Golf Recreation Scotland Ltd. and signed by its director, Eric Trump, also cited Brexit as a contributing factor to the resorts' failing finances, according to The Independent.

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"Brexit has also impacted our business as supply chains have been impacted by availability of drivers and staff, reducing deliveries and availability of certain product lines," the accounts state, according to The Independent.

The documents go on to say increased prices due to freight and import-duty charges after the Brexit vote, as well as a reduced staff availability because of wage inflation, have negatively affected the resorts.

During his presidential campaign and into his presidency, Trump was a vocal supporter of Brexit, which saw a 2016 referendum vote for withdrawal of the United Kingdom from the European Union in 2016. The former president nicknamed himself "Mr. Brexit" in a 2016 tweet and celebrated the Brits, who he said "took back their country" at an appearance in Turnberry in 2016.

The company accounts, filed earlier this month, also suggested that both golf resorts owe additional money to Trump himself in loans from the former president's personal funds and the holding company to Turnberry and Trump International Scotland, totaling more than $158 million, according to The Guardian.

A representative for the Trump Organization did not immediately respond to Insider's request for comment, nor did a spokesperson with Trump Turnberry or Trump International Scotland.

Trump opened the Aberdeenshire location in 2012 and bought the Turnberry resort in 2014. The former president is said to be particularly proud of his mother's Scottish heritage.

Last month, a group of human-rights lawyers lost their bid to force the Scottish government to investigate how Trump paid for his two golf courses in the country. The advocacy group Avaaz brought the case after the Scottish government declined to investigate an unexplained-wealth order against Trump.

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