Cherie DeVille reasons that if a reality TV personality with zero previous political experience can be voted into office, then why not her? She feels just as qualified, if not more. The physical therapist has firm opinions on immigration, education, environmental reform, and how to handle the war on drugs.
She’s also a porn star.
The 39-year-old caused a bit of a stir when she, during a press conference, announced her bid to run for President of the United States in 2020. She was joined by her running mate Coolio, the rapper of “Gangsta’s Paradise” fame; Press Secretary Alix Lynx, herself a porn star as well; and DeVille’s bodyguard, the WWE wrestler Virgil, who will serve as head of security.
“Virgil’s familiarity and relationship with Donald Trump can help smooth over the transition process when Cherie DeVille is named President,” the announcement read, alluding to the fact that Virgil and Trump crossed paths a few times when the 45th president hosted WrestleMania in the aughts, including his infamous “Battle of the Billionaires” with WWE owner Vince McMahon. DeVille’s campaign, sponsored by the men’s clothing brand Fucking Awesome, isn’t the first time a porn star has announced a bid for U.S. public office. In 2003, adult actress Mary Carey ran for governor of California in the recall election (then lieutenant governor in 2005), and in 2009, Stormy Daniels launched a brief bid for Louisiana state senator. While Carey ran as an independent and Daniels a Republican, DeVille is representing the Democratic Party—which makes sense, given the GOP’s aversion to porn.
DeVille, meanwhile, considers the notoriety she’s gained working in the adult entertainment business for the past six and a half years more of an asset than a hindrance.
In an interview with The Daily Beast, DeVille explains how serious she is about her run for the White House, and that this isn’t just another desperate bid for attention. The slogan for her 2020 presidential campaign: “Make America Fucking Awesome Again.”
Do you have any background in politics?
Cherie DeVille: I don’t. I grew up in the Washington D.C. area so I’ve been somewhat surrounded by it but I’ve never held political office.
“All of my skeletons are on the internet for all to see. If you discount porn I have zero moral scandals. I’d be a breath of fresh air.”
— Cherie DeVille
Why run for President?
It began when Trump was elected president. I always took it for granted that whether the Republicans or the Democrats won, someone reasonably appropriate was in office even if they weren’t my choice. Until this election cycle. I was incredibly disappointed in the political process…and that’s when I realized Trump basically won because he’s a celebrity. It made good television. If Americans are going to vote based on celebrity and scandal, well, I can give them that.
What would you change if you were in office?
I’m most passionate about health care, education, and immigration.
How would you handle the health care issue?
I’m an adult actress and a physical therapist but I’ve spent more of my life as a physical therapist. Over the seventeen years I’ve spent as a physical therapist, I’ve seen the repercussions of poverty and middle class Americans with staggering health care bills making choices about their bodies based not on their health or their needs but money. Health care is a basic human need that should and can be met.
You mentioned being passionate about education, what would you change about it?
I’m not like some hardcore Democrats that feel all higher education should be free. I think college is the new high school. If we want our country to be competitive with the rest of the world, then our state-run educational institutions should be free. I’m not suggesting we socialize all education—we can still have private schools—but high school today is not the minimum; it’s not what our citizens need to succeed in the current economy.
How do you expect people to react to you as a porn star running for POTUS?
Negatively. I’m not saying this to insult myself or my profession. I did my first scene as a personal lark—it was something I wanted to say I’ve done. Even if I don’t win the bid for Democratic candidate I hope that my run can at least make enough of a splash to get some of my ideas out there, for people to see me as a sex worker and a human being. I want to expand the perception of sex workers.
What do you say to critics out there who are concerned with your lack of experience in politics? And your background in porn?
If Trump hadn’t won I’d have said no one without political experience can run for office, it can’t be done…but clearly we as a country have decided you don’t need political experience to run for the highest political office. Negative expectations? All of my skeletons are on the internet for all to see. If you discount porn I have zero moral scandals. I’d be a breath of fresh air.
What would you try to legalize if you were voted into power?
I know this is controversial but I feel complete drug decriminalization is important. In poor communities, doing illegal things is the only chance some people have for advancement and they choose it, which forces them outside of the law. I think we could decrease the violence in underserved and poor communities by decriminalizing all drugs, not just marijuana. At the end of the day, not everyone’s going to start using heroin. Let’s be honest: if someone wants to use heroin in any part of the country they’ll find a way to get it. Decriminalizing it will keep the people who started selling drugs as a way to survive out of jail.
What about porn? Would you want to legalize filming everywhere?
It’s absurd that it’s not legal in every state, but at the same time the adult community has to centralize somewhere. There are only a few hundred people making porn for the world, so we’d congregate somewhere anyway.
Why should people vote for you?
Because I really do want to make America great again like Trump said, but in a way that helps all of the people. Every politician says they will help the middle class but few of them have ever been middle class. I’ve actually lived my life as a middle and upper middle class citizen, and Coolio has grown up in poverty, so we understand what it’s like not to have decent health care or educational opportunities handed to us in a way most politicians can’t understand. How can we ask the ultra-rich to make choices about something they don’t have a handle on? They can’t comprehend how the American people really live.
What would you do differently?
I have faith in the American people to do the right thing. Certain choices should be left up to them.
Do you really think people are that responsible?
We’ve been pampered. We are a society of entitlement—look at our youngest millennial generation…We need to engage, we need to feel responsible for ourselves and the world, we need to get in the game. We cannot be passive and allow the Donald Trumps of the world to step all over us. We do have power and we need to wake up. I do have faith in people. We created this problem and now we need to snap out of it.
Do you think it’s cultural or generational?
It’s a cultural thing. These kids are not at fault they were raised like this…this is the advent of technology. Society has changed and we need to help the new generation of workers be strong and responsible. We need to help them, not roll our eyes at them.
What are your opinions on the sexual harassment allegations in the media?
It’s disgusting. If you’re an actor, actress, singer, or comedian in Hollywood it happens and I know people in all of those professions at the highest levels. When I go out with friends who are in those various professions, I’m the only one who’s never sucked a dick for a job and that is ridiculous. My comedian friends, my mainstream actress friends, and absolutely my fashion model friends have all felt pressure or been directly asked to perform sexual favors in the direct or indirect promise of work, and it’s disgusting. The male culture in Hollywood is disgusting to me and I’m thrilled that these ladies are speaking out. I want those men to know we won’t take this anymore.
You’ve named the rapper Coolio as your running mate. How did you decide on him?
I knew I needed to do something crazy to get the American people’s attention. I needed someone that was passionate and well-known but it was also for shock value.
What steps have you taken to make your bid for president a reality?
I’ve been testing the waters to see if anyone cares, and the past three weeks cemented it for me. It seems like the public is interested in hearing what I have to say, so I’m doing this. I’m going to find investors, file the paperwork, and do this.
How do you plan to finance your campaign?
It’d be silly to say the obvious. I’m not going to take money from big lobbyists, not that they’d give it to me anyway. So I’m going to go the grassroots way and start small.
Are you launching this campaign for attention?
My vagina gets more attention than this. Millions of people watch me everyday around the world. I’m not trying to be conceited but as one of the few performers that works nearly every day of the week my porn is more prevalent than almost anybody else’s. Whether people want to admit to knowing me or not, if you’ve watched porn you’ve watched me. My pornography has already and will continue to get more attention than this bid for president.
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