Game of Cards, or House of Thrones?

The (ugly) inside scoop on the White House craziness

Let us say from the outset of this post that nothing herein should be read as either an endorsement or a denunciation of anyone within the White House nor any of President Trump’s policies. What we present here is what our sources at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue have been telling us over the last month, much of which has necessitated anonymity.

Grab some popcorn and buckle up.

Conspicuously absent from Trump 2.0 is Lighthizer, a man who kept Navarro at bay. The relationship between Trump and Navarro was always a tenuous one because there are so few things on which the two see eye-to-eye. Remember that Navarro was (and arguably still is) a typical liberal California Democrat on most issues. Lighthizer leveraged this and kept Navarro at bay, icing the latter out of most inner circle dialogues.

But now, there’s no Lighthizer and Trump feels a special bond with Navarro now because of how they were both unjustly politically persecuted by a weaponized DoJ. That has given Navarro a level of Oval Office access he never had before. The only thing that can ever peel him away from the White House is the chance to get in front of the cameras, something his ego won’t let him miss.

That brings us to a widely circulated story about Bessent and Lutnick having an impromptu meeting with Trump while Navarro was off doing another interview. Bessent and Lutnick had to explain to Trump that the basis trade was imploding, Treasury markets were on fire, and major trading partners were ready to band together to sink his presidency.