Donald Trump's Republican presidential campaign continues to lead in the polls, and this week Trump hired Sam Clovis to be his national campaign co-chairman. A week ago, Clovis worked for Republican rival Rick Perry. Clovis, a former radio talk show host and college professor, is an Iowan who has run for state treasurer and the U.S. Senate there. He Talked to NPR's Scott Simon from Sioux City, Iowa.
To hear the full conversation, click the audio link above.
Interview Highlights
On why he left Perry to work for Trump
The reason I switched was personal and I'm going to leave it at that. I've been under assault from people out here (in Iowa) because of my decision, and I've chosen just not to comment on it.
On why he changed his mind about Trump
What changed was for me to have an opportunity to sit down and discuss issues. I thought that Mr. Trump of all of the people running for office is the only one I could trust that would go to Washington and change things. And I think he will help us preserve this union.
On Trump's birthright citizenship position
This is one of the great misconstrues that we have out here. People believe that the birthright citizenship has been a lock since day one and it has not been. Mr. Trump has started the dialogue on talking about true immigration reform and that begins with securing the border.
On building a U.S.-Mexico wall
I think it's a matter of national security and national sovereignty. If you do not secure the border, then we cannot possibly amend or take a look at how we bring people into this country legally. If we can't sort legal from illegal, than it becomes a real challenge for us to figure out what we're doing here.
On why he likes Trump
I wouldn't work for him if I didn't like him. The one thing that I find in him that is so uplifting is his joy. He is a person who is full of spirit and full of life. There is the persona and then there is the man. What you see when he's working the crowd is a remarkable human being, and I'm very proud to be part of his team.
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Transcript
SCOTT SIMON, HOST:
Donald Trump's Republican presidential campaign continues to lead in the polls. And this week, Mr. Trump hired Sam Clovis, who just a week ago worked for Rick Perry, to be his national campaign co-chairman. Mr. Clovis is a former radio talk show host and college professor. He's an Iowan, who has run for state treasurer and the U.S. Senate there. He joins us from Sioux City, Iowa. Thanks so much for being with us.
SAM CLOVIS: Well, thank you so much for having me on.
SIMON: What made you switch?
CLOVIS: The reason I switched is personal. And I'm going to leave it at that because I've been under assault from people out here because of my decision. And I've chosen just not to comment on it. But I'm actually humbled and honored that Mr. Trump would reach out to me, and I'm particularly proud to be part of his team.
SIMON: The Des Moines Register - as I don't have to tell you...
CLOVIS: (Laughter).
SIMON: Yeah, they got hold of some pretty colorful quotes about Donald Trump from emails that you sent to various people. Were you wrong, or did Mr. Trump change so much within a week?
CLOVIS: What changed was the fact that for me to have an opportunity to sit down and discuss issues, I thought that Mr. Trump, of all of the people running for office, is the only one that I really believed I can trust that will go to Washington and change things. And I think he will help us preserve this union.
SIMON: He says, among other things, he would get rid of birthright citizenship. But isn't that in the Constitution?
CLOVIS: I think that this is one of the great misconstruances (ph) that we have out here is the fact that people believe that the birthright citizenship has been at lock since day one, and it has not been. And I think that these are the issues that have to be taken, you know, into consideration when we have this dialogue. I think what Mr. Trump has done - and I think it's appropriate - is that he has started the dialogue on talking about true immigration reform. And that begins with securing the border.
SIMON: Well, let me follow up on that. He talks about building a wall 50, 60 feet high across the U.S. border with Mexico. Not so long ago, a great Republican president stood in Berlin and said tear down this wall. Didn't a wall symbolize totalitarianism?
CLOVIS: Well, I think it's a matter of national security and national sovereignty. I think if you're going to have a country and - and you can't have open borders - and I'm sure you're not advocating for open borders - is that first and foremost, if you do not secure the border, then we cannot possibly amend or take a look at how we bring people into this country legally because if we can't sort legal from illegal, then it becomes a real challenge for us to figure out what we're doing here.
SIMON: Is someone who - if I might put it in the most fundamental human terms - is someone who picks a public quarrel with Megyn Kelly and Jorge Ramos - does he have the presidential temperament to deal with foreign leaders and Congress?
CLOVIS: With Megyn Kelly, I think that's a professional spat, and I think it'll be resolved by professionals. The issue with Mr. Ramos, I was in the room. I saw exactly what happened. I thought Mr. Trump held himself to the highest possible standards. But Mr. Ramos was trying to occupy the entirety of that press conference. And there were 50 other reporters that really had jobs to do, and Mr. Ramos was not allowing them to do that.
SIMON: You like him?
CLOVIS: I like him a lot. I wouldn't work for him if I didn't like him.
SIMON: Because...
CLOVIS: The one thing that I find in him that is so uplifting is his joy. He is a person who is full of spirit and full of life. And this is the thing - there's a persona, and then there's the man. And I think that what you see when he's in the crowd and he's working the crowd is a remarkable human being. And I'm very proud to be part of this team.
SIMON: Sam Clovis is the national co-chair and senior policy adviser for Donald Trump's presidential campaign. Mr. Clovis, thanks for speaking with us.
CLOVIS: Well, thanks for having me on today. I really appreciate it. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.
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