Washington (CNN) White House trade adviser Peter Navarro has revived his alter-ego "Ron Vara" to bolster his case that the US should proceed with a new round of tariffs on Chinese goods, The New York Times reported Wednesday.

According to the Times, Navarro supplemented his argument for the tariffs in a memo purportedly sent from an email address belonging to "Ron Vara" -- an anagram of his own name Navarro has previously acknowledged quoting as an "inside joke" in his books.

"Much debate going on," said an email purportedly from Vara highlighting commentary in favor of more tariffs on China, the paper reported. "Here's one side that has not been in focus. Thoughts?"

Navarro confirmed the authenticity of the memo to the Times, but it remains unclear how widely it was distributed.

In a statement provided to CNN in October , Navarro admitted to inventing the character of Ron Vara, describing it as a "whimsical device and pen name," purely for "entertainment value." He added that it was "refreshing that somebody finally figured out an inside joke that has been hiding in plain sight for years."

Read More