‘Let’s not do that!’ White House adviser refuses to say if Trump is to blame for tanking stock market

White House trade adviser Peter Navarro flew into a huff when a CNN host pressed him to defend President Donald Trump's leadership in the coronavirus crisis.

Navarro appeared Monday morning on CNN as the Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 10 points moments after opening, and host Poppy Harlow asked whether the U.S. was headed into a recession, reported The Daily Beast.

“I hear you, Peter, but the Dow is off 2,200 points, the S&P is off 8 percent,” Harlow said. “You’re a top economist at the White House. Are we headed into a recession? I appreciate the efforts you just outlined, but this is freaking people out!”

Navarro assured the host that the administration would be able to stave off a recession, but Harlow pointed out that trading had been halted as they conducted the interview.

“Markets are looking for leadership," she said. "Leadership is prescriptive. The markets here are reacting also to the president and his words. Is he doing enough to put confidence in the market by saying something that’s not under control is?”

Navarro snapped at the question.

“Poppy, let’s not do that kind of thing right now,” Navarro said.

Harlow wouldn't be deterred.

"It’s not doing that kind of thing,” she said. “The market is hanging on his words -- you know this.”