Ana Navarro to Trump: 'You are not a used car salesman. You are the president.'

GOP strategist Ana Navarro thinks it's about time for someone to have a little talk with President Trump about "taking his job seriously." "I think the solution is very simple: Start telling the truth. Start taking your job seriously, stop exaggerating, stop outright lying and then repeating it over and over and over again," Navarro said Tuesday on CNN's New Day. "I think the people around him ... need to tell him 'You are no longer the host of The Apprentice. You are not a used car salesman. You are the president of the United States.'"
Navarro's remarks were made in light of a recent CNN poll that revealed that just 24 percent of Americans trust the Trump administration, while 73 percent have some hesitations about its truthfulness. Navarro argued that if Trump is going to improve those numbers, he's going to have to start being more truthful. "We need to believe our president when he stands behind that podium and speaks to us," Navarro said.
But Matt Schlapp, a former political director to former President George W. Bush, disagreed with Navarro's "whole premise." He argued that Trump is "authentic" and attributed the credibility issue to the deep polarization of American politics.
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
But Navarro wasn't buying it. "This is not about policy disagreements," she said, pointing to Trump's baseless claims about voter fraud and his exaggerations about crowd sizes. Watch the exchange below. Becca Stanek
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
-
September 1 editorial cartoons
Cartoons Monday’s political cartoons include Labor Day picnic, branding strategy, and more
-
What is Tony Blair's plan for Gaza?
Today's Big Question Former PM has reportedly been putting together a post-war strategy 'for the past several months'
-
When does autumn begin?
The Explainer The UK is experiencing a 'false autumn', as climate change shifts seasonal weather patterns
-
RFK Jr. names new CDC head as staff revolt
Speed Read Kennedy installed his deputy, Jim O'Neill, as acting CDC director
-
DC prosecutors lose bid to indict sandwich thrower
Speed Read Prosecutors sought to charge Sean Dunn with assaulting a federal officer
-
White House fires new CDC head amid agency exodus
Speed Read CDC Director Susan Monarez was ousted after butting heads with HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. over vaccines
-
DOGE put Social Security data at risk, official says
Speed Read DOGE workers made the personal information of hundreds of millions of Americans vulnerable to identity theft
-
Court rejects Trump suit against Maryland US judges
Speed Read Judge Thomas Cullen, a Trump appointee, said the executive branch had no authority to sue the judges
-
Trump expands National Guard role in policing
Speed Read The president wants the Guard to take on a larger role in domestic law enforcement
-
Trump says he's firing Federal Reserve Governor Lisa Cook
Speed Read The move is likely part of Trump's push to get the central bank to cut interest rates
-
Abrego released from jail, faces Uganda deportation
Speed Read The wrongly deported Kilmar Abrego García is expected to be detained at an ICE check-in and deported to Uganda