Two top Trump advisers seized a rare moment without Peter Navarro in the Oval Office to persuade President Donald Trump to temporarily ease tariffs, a surprise move aimed at calming jittery financial markets, The Wall Street Journal reported.

As financial markets spiraled on April 9, two key members of President Donald Trump’s economic team made a bold move. With trade adviser Peter Navarro — an unwavering proponent of tariffs — occupied elsewhere in the White House, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick seized the opportunity to pause the administration’s global tariff rollout temporarily.

Navarro, a constant presence around the Oval Office since Trump’s “Liberation Day” event, had vigorously lobbied the president to stay the course on tariffs. But that morning, he was away from the West Wing for a meeting with economic adviser Kevin Hassett. According to multiple people familiar with the matter, Bessent and Lutnick moved quickly to meet with Trump before Navarro could intervene.

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