Steve Vassallo, Co-Chair of Donald J. Trump for President, Lafayette County
Business, 1969
DM: Tell us about what you do and how you got to where you are now with the Trump Campaign.
SV: I volunteered back in the primary to be the chairman for Lafayette County in March, which we carried the county. And, not only did we win the Republican Primary in Lafayette County, but we also got more votes than Mrs. (Hillary) Clinton did in the Democratic primary. Because we were so successful in the primary I was asked by the state headquarters to take this responsibility for the general election, which I accepted.
DM: How were you involved with politics as an Ole Miss student and how did that play into your career now?
SV: I really got involved in politics when I was very young, probably at age 10. I was involved in going door to door canvassing in Nashville for a national U.S. Senate campaign. That just carried over to high school where we had a mock presidential election and I was asked to chair the Republican party. And then, once I got into Ole Miss, I stayed active and interested in politics, and that just carried over into adult life.
DM: This year’s election cycle has been almost unanimously regarded to be highly historic in nature. Why do you think that is?
SV: I think we have reached a crossroads in the United States. I think there are so many critics now in the way the last eight years have been handled as far as national security; the indebtedness is now said to be $21 trillion. There have been so many things that have happened in the past eight years. Our military has been depleted severely, and our borders are porous. There are just so many things Americans are unhappy about. Usually when people are unhappy or concerned they go to the polls in greater numbers. Trump handed over 15 million votes in the primary, I mean, he brought out people who hadn’t voted ever, or some that hadn’t voted in years because they had never been excited about a candidacy like the one he is presenting.
DM: As we approach the Republican National Convention, what sort of role do you see the state of Mississippi playing?
SV: I think our governor, Phil Bryant, and the delegation is going to play a major role. First of all, they are going to make sure that all the votes that are taken as far as the platform before the convention even starts are in a way that Conservatives can rally around. So, I think they are going to play a key role in that. (Mississippi) is definitely a red state. I think it is going to stay a red state. We are convinced that Trump is going to carry Mississippi, and (Jim Stephens) and I are going to make sure that we carry Lafayette County like we did in March. I think Donald Trump and the Republican National Committee can rely on us to make sure that our electoral votes are Trump’s when all the smoke clears in November.
DM: The Mississippi primary had an overwhelming majority vote for Trump. Why do you think Mississippians voted in this way and what do you think this says about the political status of the state?
SV: I think that puts Mississippi in a very positive note with Trump — the fact that we have been with him from day one. But the reason I think Mississippians rally around Mr. Trump is because of our Conservative roots and our nature here. All those things I mentioned about the military, immigration, the indebtedness — all those things are very important to conservative people and I pride myself on being a Conservative and that’s why I can gladly support Donald Trump, because he stands for the vast majority of things I believe in and also what I think the vast majority of Mississippians believe in as well.
DM: What do you think Trump will bring for the state of Mississippi if elected?
SV: I think he will be an ally like we haven’t seen in many years, maybe going all the way back to the days of Nixon and Eisenhower. I think he will look favorably on our needs, and I think he will work closely with our governor. It’s my understanding that they have a great personal relationship already and I see that doing nothing more than improving between now and next year.
DM: What action do you urge Mississippians to take as we approach the general election?
SV: I urge Ole Miss students who are wanting to get involved to contact either me or (Jim Stephens). To me, this is why I love politics, because you get to interact with a lot of people you’ve never met previously. I think it really broadens your resume. And, I can tell you of all the campaigns I have been in — even ones I have lost — I have always gained something from those, and I think the students that get involved for us or against us will feel like they have been enriched because of the experience. I truly believe that. I encourage them to get involved so they can know the issues involving the country, and how to deal with adversarial situations. They prompt some of these students to run for political office in the future. We need more people involved in our government — the local elections all the way to the federal. I see that being a good experience coming out of this for our students.
