The revelation that "Ron Vara" was fictional caused controversy, especially given Navarro's role as a top trade adviser in the Trump administration. Critics argued that presenting a fictional character as an expert in a non-fiction book undermined the credibility of his arguments. Navarro's publisher eventually added a note to reprints of "Death by China" clarifying that "Ron Vara" is not a real person but an alias created by Navarro.
Perhaps now we need a similar disclaimer note about Trumps top trade adviser?