Yellowhammer Multimedia founder Cliff Sims has been making the interview rounds ahead of his new book’s Tuesday release, with the Enterprise native managing to throw even more intrigue into the mix at the last minute.
With Team of Vipers set to hit the bookshelves, Sims has embarked on a whirlwind tour of national print and television outlets, including appearances on “Good Morning America” and “The View,” as well as one with Stephen Colbert’s “The Late Show” set for Monday night.
However, amidst all of the flashing lights, it may have been Sims’ interview with The Atlantic’s Elaina Plott that added a new dimension to all of the excerpt-happy pieces populating the country’s biggest print publications, from The New York Times to The Washington Post.
Plott, herself a Tuscaloosa native, certainly mixes some eye-popping excerpts from Team of Vipers into her piece, but it is the focus on Sims himself – his background, his role in the Trump campaign and then White House, his unique perspective and where he goes from here – that really makes it a must-read. And while political junkies will get their fix from start-to-finish, there was one entertaining line above the rest specific to Alabama: Sims just might be considering a run for political office in his home state soon, specifically a challenge to Senator Doug Jones (D-AL) in 2020.
When it came to discussing his future, Sims told Plott that he is still weighing his options. He has reportedly considered everything from going to graduate school to becoming a missionary overseas. He and his wife are also currently in the process of adopting a baby from Colombia.
Though he is “deeply conflicted” about his next career move, Sims teased that he is mulling the idea of running for office. He reminded Plott “with a shrug” that Jones is up for reelection in 2020, and that he would be old enough to challenge Alabama’s vulnerable junior senator.
“I do think what Washington is lacking are people whose identity is not wrapped up in Washington. And so that makes me want to do it sometimes,” Sims told her.
After Plott’s article was published, Yellowhammer News confirmed with Sims that his comment about a potential Jones challenge was tongue in cheek. So, while Alabamians might not see Sims on the 2020 ballot as a candidate for the United States Senate, speculation will continue to run rampant on what is next for the Wiregrass son turned ex-White House staffer (and now, quite possibly, bestselling author).
Plott concluded her piece, “Because Trump’s imprint, he seemed to suggest, is still very much on him. In spite of it all, he does not think of his White House experience, like [former Chief of Staff John] Kelly, as ‘the worst f—ing job’ he’s ever had. In fact, Sims said, if he were to ever run for office, his former boss would probably serve as a guidepost. ‘I mean, it would be like a very Trumpian approach. Like, I’m going to go blow things up for four or eight years or whatever.’ He laughed. ‘I feel like that sometimes.'”
“Good Morning America” has published the prologue to the book, which is a good preview in Sims’ own words.
He wrote, “I want to show readers how it really was as I saw it firsthand—the highs and lows, the triumphs, struggles, outrages, and embarrassing failures. I experienced them all. And now you can, too.”
Team of Vipers will be released Tuesday and is available here.
Sean Ross is a staff writer for Yellowhammer News. You can follow him on Twitter @sean_yhn
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