Author, pundit, and Townhall columnist Wayne Allyn Root will be delivering the tea party’s response to the president’s State of the Union address next week, the Tea Party Express has announced.
The tea party’s largest political action committee typically chooses a well-known political figure—such as Sen. Rand Paul, Sen. Mike Lee, and Rep. Michele Bachmann, for example.
This year will be different, however. “2016 has become the year of the outsider as the public continues to show strong support in the presidential contest for candidates that eschew connections with the Washington establishment,” Tea Party Express co-founder and chief strategist Sal Russo said in a statement. “So it is appropriate for the Tea Party Express to select a Washington “outsider” who has had a remarkable career as a candidate, author, commentator, international business speaker and small businessman, while arguing persuasively for a more limited federal government.
“Wayne has spoken at many Tea Party Express rallies and continues to support the importance of reducing the size, cost and intrusiveness of the federal government,” he continued.
Root is a frequent guest on Fox News programs and the author of several books, his most recent being: “The Power of Relentless: 7 Secrets to Achieving Mega-Success, Financial Freedom, and the Life of Your Dreams.”
Additionally, he graduated from Columbia University in 1983, making him a classmate of President Obama.
"This is a great honor. I don't represent Washington, D.C., the political establishment, lawyers, lobbyists or special interests,” Root said. “I represent the taxpayers, small business owners, and the great American working and middle class. … My response to the President’s State of the Union is the vision of a patriot who believes in the American Dream and American exceptionalism.”