Trump adviser Stone has 40-year friendship with prez
Political consultant and Trump former adviser Roger Stone Jr. joined Boston Herald Radio’s “Herald Drive” program yesterday to discuss his new book “The Making of the President 2016: How Donald Trump Orchestrated a Revolution” and his 40year friendship with the president.
Q: Talk about your personal relationship with President Trump and how that’s evolved over the years.
When I went to New York to organize Gov. Ronald Reagan’s campaign for president, the flamboyant lawyer Roy Cohn, who was a lawyer for Donald, introduced me to Donald Trump and I was immediately impressed by his size. I don’t mean his physical size, I mean his magnetism, his charisma ... it’s really hard to put your finger on the quality. And of course I started by saying, ‘Mr. Trump, it’s an honor to meet you,’ and he said,
‘Please, call me Donald,’ and I have done so ever since ... I said, ‘Mr. President,’ he said, ‘Please, call me Donald.’ It was really kind of cool.
Q: When did you know when President Trump was going to run for president?
A: I had tried to get him to run as early as 1988 but more seriously in the year 2000. And then in 2012 ... I guess it was only days after Romney was defeated, but before the end of 2012, Donald went to the U.S. Government Trademark and Patent Office and he patented the slogan “Make America Great Again.” Two days later, which would have been New Year’s Day 2013, he told me he was running in 2016 and he would win. He did and he did.
Q: When Donald Trump goes off the rails, do you ever see that changing or is that so innate in Donald Trump?
A: Well, some people’s off the rails is other people’s refreshing candor. Donald Trump is not going to change … if he is making big progress on the things he ran on — sealing our borders, building the wall, revitalizing the economy, redoing the trade deals — if there is an increase in jobs in the United States, I don’t think anyone will care about his foibles with the press or his various off-topic comments ... .
Q: What is your opinion of Kellyanne Conway? I have thought from the
very beginning that she was a major plus to his campaign and now to his administration. Do you share that opinion?
A: I totally share that opinion. I think having an effective, feisty, outspoken woman spokeswoman first for the Trump campaign and now the Trump administration has enormous value. Very hard to name another woman at a high level other than Ivanka, of course. And I think she is very capable and does a very good job.