The White House communications office insisted Navarro did not clear his article through them before it was published in USA Today and Trump distanced himself from it, saying it was a mistake.
But the sentiment Navarro expressed -- that Fauci, the nation's top infectious disease specialist, had been wrong on multiple occasions during the pandemic -- was the same one White House officials espoused over the weekend when they questioned his record to reporters.
Trump on Wednesday brushed off the episode in the Oval Office before taking a more forceful stance as he departed the White House for Atlanta.
"He made a statement representing himself," Trump said when questioned about the article. "He shouldn't be doing that. I have a very good relationship with Anthony."
"We're all on the same team," Trump said, "including Dr. Fauci."
Still, Trump stopped short of refuting or condemning the content of the article or detailing any recriminations for his top trade aide.
The confusing and fraught dynamic between obviously warring factions of the administration seemed to epitomize the culture of infighting that Trump has accepted and, at times, actively cultivated during his tenure in office. That it is occurring in the middle of a global pandemic has only amplified the questions of competency surrounding the administration's response to the crisis.
In his column, Navarro wrote: "Dr. Anthony Fauci has a good bedside manner with the public, but he has been wrong about everything I have interacted with him on." He said he only listens to Fauci "with skepticism and caution."
Contacted by CNN on Wednesday, Fauci declined to respond directly to Navarro, saying he would rather direct his energies toward what matters, such as the development of a coronavirus vaccine.
Speaking to The Atlantic, Fauci called White House attacks on him "bizarre" and said they ultimately harmed Trump.
"I cannot figure out in my wildest dreams why they would want to do that," he said. "I think they realize now that that was not a prudent thing to do, because it's only reflecting negatively on them."
Asked about Navarro, Fauci demurred.
"I can't explain Peter Navarro," he said. "He's in a world by himself."
Navarro did not respond to a request for comment about the steps he took before submitting his op-ed for publication.
Earlier Wednesday, White House officials said Navarro circumvented their usual protocols for writing and submitting an opinion article.
"The Peter Navarro op-ed didn't go through normal White House clearance processes and is the opinion of Peter alone. @realDonaldTrump values the expertise of the medical professionals advising his Administration," White House director of strategic communications Alyssa Farah tweeted.
Other White House officials described Navarro as going "rogue" and skirting what are clear rules for publishing articles.
Yet no officials said whether Navarro would face official recriminations for his actions. A hawkish v
