As Donald Trump headed to his precinct to vote in Florida's primary election Tuesday, he was asked by a reporter if he thought the Supreme Court should have kept Peter Navarro out of prison. Trump didn't address Chief Justice John Roberts' action in denying a request to stay Navarro's sentence, simply replying, "I think it's a shame. I think it's a disgrace. It's a disgrace to our nation what they did to him."

JUST IN: President Trump heads to his local Palm Beach precinct to vote in the Florida primary election today.

The President says it’s a disgrace what they’ve done to Navarro pic.twitter.com/aBVPy00ZOU

— Michelle Backus (@michellebackus_) March 19, 2024

Navarro, a former White House advisor, was accused by the duplicitous January 6 Committee of plotting with another former Trump advisor, Steve Bannon, to block Congress from certifying the 2020 election results. He was subpoenaed by the committee but refused to appear and was convicted in 2023 of two counts of contempt of Congress — one for failing to produce documents and another for skipping his deposition.

On March 11 Navarro was sentenced to four months in prison on those misdemeanor convictions and asked to have the sentence delayed while he appealed the conviction. U.S. District Court Judge Amit Mehta denied his request for a stay, and on Monday Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts also denied Navarro's request for a stay:

Chief Justice John Roberts refused to delay Peter Navarro’s four-month prison sentence Monday, meaning the former Trump trade advisor must report to a minimum-security federal Bureau of Prisons satellite camp in Miami Tuesday. The case fell into Roberts’ hands because he is in charge of emergency matters arising from the District of Columbia Circuit Court of Appeals.

In his decision, Roberts wrote:

“This application concerns only the question of whether the applicant, Peter Navarro, has met his burden to establish his entitlement to relief under the Bail Reform Act,” Roberts wrote, citing an appeals court’s determination that Navarro “forfeited” any argument challenging the district court’s conclusion that executive privilege was not invoked by Trump.

"I see no basis to disagree with the determination that Navarro forfeited those arguments in the release proceeding, which is distinct from his pending appeal on the merits."

Navarro released a statement on the action, noting that if his appeal succeeds he will have already served the sentence, making a mockery of the justice system:

Justice Roberts took care to note that his reason for denial was “distinct from [my] pending appeal on the merits.” That appeal on the merits will continue and if I fail in that appeal – after nonetheless serving my full prison term -- the constitutional separation of powers will be irreparably damaged and the doctrine of executive privilege dating back to George Washington will cease to function as an important safeguard for effective presidential decision-making. There is much at stake here and it is worth the fight.

The partisan nature of the imprisoning of a top senior White House aide should chill the bones of every American. In Joe Biden’s weaponized justice system, a Democrat controlled Congress and Justice Department together with an Obama-appointed District Judge and three Obama-appointed Appeals Court judges drove the Navarro railroad right into prison. If anybody thinks these partisans and politicians in robes aren’t coming for Donald Trump, they must think twice now.