Ex-Trump adviser demands Fox News stop using Harris’s first name because it ‘personalizes her’

Peter Navarro, a former trade adviser to Trump when he was in office, went on a three-minute rant about ‘Kamala’ while appearing on Steve Bannon’s War Room

Donald Trump’s former adviser has urged Fox News pundits to “cut the Kamala c**p” and stop referring to the vice president by her first name because it “personalizes her.”

Peter Navarro, a former trade adviser to Trump when he was in office, went on a three-minute rant about “Kamala” while appearing on Steve Bannon’s War Room on Tuesday.

Navarro warned Fox News and Newsmax hosts that in referring to Harris by her first name, they “personalize her” and it is not doing Trump any favors in the presidential campaign.

“Never refer to Kamala Harris only by her first name,” he said. “She is not a soccer star. Pelé, Messi, I get it, but when you use Kamala these days it does not do us any good. Works in the other direction. It personalizes her, it creates a favorable impression.”

Navarro, released in July from a four-month prison sentence, had some suggestions for fellow conservatives on how they could refer to the vice president.

Peter Navarro, former aide to Donald Trump, had some advice for Fox News pundits (AFP via Getty Images)

“The only exception to that rule is if you use it with a Trump-like nickname. Kamachameleon... that’s not bad. Kamaliar... that’s not bad.”

Continuing his rant, Navarro pointed out: “When was the last time you heard somebody refer to Donald John Trump favorably or affectionately, simply as ‘Donald’? So cut the Kamala crap.”

Navarro was charged with two counts of contempt of Congress after defying subpoenas for his testimony before the January 6 House panel’s probe into the events surrounding the Capitol attack.

He has been vocal during this presidential election, advising the Trump campaign that firing personal attacks against Harris is not a winning strategy for the former president.

Peter Navarro at the Republican National Convention hours after being released from prison in Miami, Florida (AP)

Harris has faced relentless racist and sexist attacks from Republicans since announcing she was running for president instead of Joe Biden – but Navarro cautioned that such comments will backfire.

He insisted in a Substack column to defeat Harris in November, Trump must “beat her with the policy stick, not gratuitous personal attacks.”

“Republican politicians, TV commentators, and radio talk show hosts who play the Willie Brown card, ridicule the infamous Harris cackle, or demean Harris as a DEI hire will only advance the Harris strategy,” Navarro wrote.

“Such personal attacks build a misplaced sympathy for Harris, particularly when the invective comes from men – like it or not, it’s a Mars vs. Venus world.”

To attract “swing women voters” and independents, he advised “the best Republican strategy is to run hard on the Trump policy agenda,” referring to the economy, the border crisis, and foreign policy.