Trump adviser apologizes for ‘special place in hell’ comment about Trudeau
WASHINGTON — Peter Navarro, one of President Donald Trump’s top trade advisers, said on Tuesday that it was a mistake to suggest that “there is a special place in hell” for Prime Minister Justin Trudeau of Canada, offering a rare apology from a White House that almost never walks back heated rhetoric.
“In conveying that message, I used language that was inappropriate and basically lost the power of that message,” Mr. Navarro said at an event hosted by The Wall Street Journal. “I own that, that was my mistake, those were my words.”
He said he was trying to send a signal of strength on behalf of the administration, but that his language was inappropriate. In the future, Mr. Navarro said, he will stick to discussing serious policy issues and differences.
“If you make a mistake, you should admit it, learn from it, don’t repeat it,” Mr. Navarro said. Asked if he was apologizing, Mr. Navarro said, “yeah, absolutely.”
His earlier comments had followed Mr. Trump’s own sharp words for Mr. Trudeau, whom the president called “dishonest and weak” and accused of making “false statements.”
Mr. Trump was angered by Mr. Trudeau’s remarks at the end of the Group of Seven gathering Saturday that Canada would not be bullied by the U.S.; the president lashed back in a series of tweets aboard Air Force One as he headed to Singapore for a summit meeting with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un.
On Sunday, Mr. Navarro, who is Mr. Trump’s most hawkish trade adviser, assailed Mr. Trudeau for engaging in “bad faith diplomacy” in the wake of the G-7 meeting.
“There’s a special place in hell for any foreign leader that engages in bad faith diplomacy with President Donald J. Trump and then tries to stab him in the back on the way out the door,” Mr. Navarro said on “Fox News Sunday.”
“And that’s what bad faith Justin Trudeau did with that stunt press conference,” Mr. Navarro said.
While Mr. Navarro backed down from his attack, Mr. Trump did not, continuing on Tuesday to accuse Mr. Trudeau of acting in bad faith and trying to take advantage of the U.S.
Mr. Navarro, who has frustrated some members of the Trump administration by fanning his protectionist instincts, was also rebuked by Republicans for his coarse language.
Sen. Orrin Hatch, RUtah, said, “I thought he should’ve kept his big mouth shut.”
Marc Short, White House director of legislative affairs, said that Mr. Navarro’s comments were not the words that he would have chosen to characterize the leader of Canada.