'Absurd passion play': Former prosecutor bulldozes convicted Trump trade adviser’s 'idolatry'

Former federal prosecutor John Flannery on Thursday's edition of The Beat reacted to ex-President Donald Trump's White House trade adviser Peter Navarro's double conviction for contempt of Congress for his refusal to comply with subpoenas issued by the House of Representatives Select Committee to Investigate the January 6th Attack on the United States Capitol.

MSNBC host Ari Melber noted that only one other erstwhile Trump aide, Steve Bannon, has so far shared Navarro's fate. He then asked Flannery to weigh in on the developments.

"My reaction to the news is that he decided that his tactic would be what we call a slow plea, meaning the outcome was really never in doubt," Flannery said. "I mean, it'd be exceptional if it ended any other way, and he had no defense really, and what defense he thought he had was a fictitious conversation that never occurred with the president seeking executive privilege about conversations that the special committee was not interested in. So I think what you really have here is, as was the case with Bannon, is the case with Navarro. They don't want to bow to the man. They are not just contemptuous of this subpoena, but of the Constitution, of the law, And that's what the entire effort to overthrow the government is all about."

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Melber then rolled footage of Navarro defending Trump following his guilty verdict.

"Why didn't the former President Trump testify to back up your executive privilege claim?" a reporter asked.

"Heh," Navarro scoffed. "You may have noticed that he's fighting four different indictments in three different jurisdictions, thousands of miles away. Okay? We chose not to go there."

Navarro's loyalty to Trump dismayed Flannery.

READ MORE: Trump trade adviser Navarro convicted of criminal contempt of Congress

"Well, it's an absurd passion play that these guys would put before their own freedom, reputation, whatever political objectives they have, an idolatry for a man who's undeserving of that, who is undeserving to be president and has historically proven himself to be the worst president, the largest criminal who's ever occupied the office of chief executive of the United States of America," Flannery opined.

He then added, "I think it's such wishful thinking to say, 'Oh, he's too busy to help me.' Really? You are helping him, and he won't help you. That is Trump's story."

Watch the segment below or at this link.

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READ MORE: 'You’re going to prison': Peter Navarro heckled after insisting he likely won't do time