‘Las Vegas Law’ producer Wayne Allyn Root says he’s ‘nice version of Donald Trump’
Vegas Voices is a weekly question-and-answer series featuring notable Las Vegans.
Wayne Allyn Root sees a lot of himself in Donald Trump.
Or vice versa.
“There are a lot of things about us that are very similar,” he says, touting their shared histories as best-selling authors, spokesmen and TV personalities. “You know, I’m not quite as offensive. … I’m kind of a nice version of Donald Trump.”
Root, who’s called the valley home since 2002, even considers his 2008 campaign to be the Libertarian presidential nominee — he eventually ran as the party’s vice presidential candidate — “the test run for Donald Trump.”
Over the years, Root has been a one-man career day: sports handicapper, political commentator, columnist, author, radio and TV host, reality-TV producer.
Root’s latest book, “The Power of Relentless,” was just translated for release in Japan. His radio show, “WAR NOW,” is about to move to the 4-6 p.m. daily drive-time slot on KBET-AM 790. And his most recent production, “Las Vegas Law,” which follows the Clark County district attorney’s office, debuts at 10 p.m. Thursday on Investigation Discovery.
Review-Journal: You’ve been on TV around the world — England, Japan, Israel, at home on Fox News — in support of Donald Trump. Why him?
Root: I guess I knew something that the average person just didn’t get, and definitely the average political expert didn’t get. No. 1, I knew there was a tremendous, tremendous anger in this country toward politicians, and he’s the perfect anti-politician. And I also knew that energy sells, and that Donald Trump’s energy would just overcome anything and everything out there in his way.
R-J: Your website describes you as a “relentless patriot.” What does that mean to you?
Root: I’m just the world’s biggest America fan. … In every foreign policy and every domestic policy, the first thing we should look at is, “Will it help Americans?” I don’t worry about Chinese or Russians or Mexicans or anybody else. I have no problem with anyone in the world, but America’s gotta be first. I wanna be sure we don’t kill American jobs.
R-J: It also touts Nevada’s “zero state income tax, zero business income tax, zero capital gains tax, zero inheritance tax and the 9th lowest property taxes in America.” Is that what drew you to the valley?
Root: First of all, yes. It absolutely was the first thing that drew me to the valley. But the second thing was, I love sunshine. I can’t deny that. If this was a cold, miserable, gray place, I wouldn’t have come here even if taxes were zero. Taxes are zero in Alaska, too, but you wouldn’t catch me moving to Alaska. So, I think a combination of beautiful weather and sunshine, and the best restaurants in the world, and very low taxes, all of those were contributing factors. Oh, and a positive, friendly business climate.
R-J: Aside from the tax benefits and the weather, what do you like most about living in the valley?
Root: I definitely love eating out. I just can’t get over the restaurants. They’re just so fantastic here. I travel the whole world, and I’ve never found anywhere with food that even comes close to Las Vegas. … Like, my whole life is eating at great Chinese and Thai and Vietnamese and sushi restaurants. Those are my four. I’ll eat 10-15 times a week at restaurants, and 12 of the 15 will be Asian of some kind. Then maybe I’ll throw in one Italian, one Mexican. My life is Asian food. Well, Las Vegas has the best Asian food in the world. I didn’t like the food in China or Singapore. It didn’t taste as good as Las Vegas. I like American Chinese food in Las Vegas.
R-J: So what are your favorite local restaurants?
Root: I’d say Red 8 at Wynn is right up there with any Chinese restaurant I’ve ever been to in my life. That’s fantastic. I would say local local, as in locals joint, I love East Ocean (Dim Sum & Seafood). It’s probably my favorite locals Chinese restaurant. I love Chin Chin at New York-New York. I probably have two business meetings a week at Chin-Chin. … Texas de Brazil is probably my single favorite restaurant in Vegas nowadays.
R-J: Can you talk a little about how “Las Vegas Law” came together?
Root: Most of my ideas in life — not just TV, all my book ideas, all my business ideas — have come on a walk in the park with my dogs. … I took a walk one day, and the idea that came to mind was that, when a person gets hurt or killed or robbed or mugged or murdered, whatever it is, in Milwaukee or Peoria or Boston for that matter, people care about it in that city. … But when a major crime happens in Vegas, particularly the Vegas Strip, the entire world wants to know about it. They’re all interested in it. It’s the reason every reality show is set in Vegas, it seems like. I certainly think six out of every 10 are set in Vegas. It’s crazy.
R-J: Are you very hands-on as a producer? Or do you just help package shows (including “Ghost Adventures”) and watch the money roll in?
Root: By the way, money doesn’t roll in that great in the TV business. It’s not like you get incredibly, fabulously wealthy. You do if you’ve got “Survivor” on network TV. But if you’re on cable TV, you make a nice living. I don’t ever sit back and let the money roll in, because I’m just a guy who works 24 hours a day, seven days a week. But I’m not the most hands-on person in the world. I’m the idea man.
Contact Christopher Lawrence at clawrence@reviewjournal.com. On Twitter: @life_onthecouch
