White House trade adviser Peter Navarro rejoiced at how the Trump administration is breaking longstanding norms with regard to the Republican National Convention.
Navarro, in a Tuesday afternoon interview on MSNBC, lavished praise on first lady Melania Trump because she is giving her RNC address from the White House and on Secretary of State Mike Pompeo simply because he is speaking at the convention.
“He’s the first secretary of state to ever speak at a political convention, according to any records we’ve been able to check. And he’s doing it from an official foreign trip — in Jerusalem was where he taped it — with the historic backdrop. Diplomats, current and former, are in an uproar over this,” MSNBC’s Andrea Mitchell said.
Navarro responded, “Good. We do different things here in this administration” while she finished her question, and he then added, “Look, one of the things that’s remarkable about this president is he keeps his promises.”
The White House adviser then noted that Pompeo, who will be giving his speech from Jerusalem, played a role in the United States-United Arab Emirates-Israel agreement and that President Trump moved the U.S. Embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem.
“So, I think it’s a beautiful thing having Melania Trump speak from the Rose Garden and Secretary Pompeo speaking from the Middle East to celebrate an achievement that really keeps America not only safe but allows us to end those endless wars that the American people really are so tired of — going back to the Bush administration through the Obama administration,” he added. “So, you know, I think it’s going to be a great night. You will see — you will see some strong messages about the strength of this presidency.”
The issue of Trump administration officials participating in the convention has raised questions about violations of the Hatch Act, which generally prohibits federal employees, except the president and vice president, from engaging in political activity while on duty.
“R.N.C. convention events will be planned and executed, at whatever the venue, by the Trump campaign and R.N.C.,” Judd Deere, a White House spokesman, said of the Republican National Committee to the New York Times. “Any government employees who may participate will do so in compliance with the Hatch Act.”
