Political Wire

Perry Faces Steep Learning Curve

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“When President-elect Donald Trump offered Rick Perry the job of energy secretary five weeks ago, Mr. Perry gladly accepted, believing he was taking on a role as a global ambassador for the American oil and gas industry that he had long championed in his home state,” the New York Times reports.

“In the days after, Mr. Perry, the former Texas governor, discovered that he would be no such thing — that in fact, if confirmed by the Senate, he would become the steward of a vast national security complex he knew almost nothing about, caring for the most fearsome weapons on the planet, the United States’ nuclear arsenal.”

Perry May Be Pressed to Resume Nuclear Testing

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New York Times: “A central mission of the nation’s weapons laboratories is to ensure that the country’s nuclear weapons still work if needed. To do that, the government has long relied on a program that avoids the need for underground testing, instead using data from supercomputers and laboratory experiments and inspecting the warheads.”

“But some nuclear analysts say that the Trump administration is likely to face decisions that could upend the bomb program, leading to a resumption of testing and perhaps a new global arms race if they are mishandled. Adding to the concern is Mr. Trump’s choice of a politician with no expertise in nuclear or technical matters, former Gov. Rick Perry of Texas, to lead the Energy Department, which runs the nation’s nuclear-weapons labs and the safeguards program.”

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Perry Would Be Willing to be Trump’s Running Mate

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Former Texas Gov. Rick Perry (R), who once called Donald Trump “a cancer on conservatism,” told CNN that he would be willing to serve as the presumptive Republican nominee’s vice president.

Said Perry: “I suspect I’m going to be helping him in a myriad ways — but if it’s the vice presidency, if a cabinet position is where he needs somebody with my experience then I’m not going to go back to Texas and say, ‘Aw shucks sir, I’m gonna go fishing.’ I’m gonna go serve my country.”

Perry Endorses Trump for President

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Former Texas Gov. Rick Perry told CNN that he will support Donald Trump as the Republican presidential nominee and will do everything he can do to help him get elected.

Said Perry: “He is not a perfect man. But what I do believe is that he loves this country and he will surround himself with capable, experienced people and he will listen to them. He wasn’t my first choice, wasn’t my second choice, but he is the people’s choice.”

Perry Didn’t Vote In Texas Primary

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Former Texas Gov. Rick Perry (R) may have stumped for Ted Cruz for president, “but there’s no record he voted in this year’s Republican primary in Texas,” the Texas Tribune reports.

“Perry’s failure to vote in this year’s Texas primary could lead to more speculation that he is interested in running as an independent candidate for president.”

“There are two key requirements in Texas for someone to run as an independent candidate for president. First, a candidate would have had to abstain from voting in one of the state’s primaries because doing so would declare themselves as either a Democrat or Republican. Second, a candidate would need to gather 79,939 signatures by May 9 from Texans who had also not voted in either of the primaries that year.”

Perry Will Endorse Cruz

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Former Texas Gov. Rick Perry is endorsing Ted Cruz in the Republican presidential primary, Politico reports.

“Perry, who also sought the GOP nomination before dropping out in September, said he now sees the race as one that is between Cruz, a fellow Texan, and Donald Trump.”

Perry Blames Indictment for Failed Campaign

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Rick Perry “blamed his criminal indictment and exclusion from the Republican debate mainstage for his failed presidential bid in his first interview since suspending his presidential campaign on Friday,” the Texas Tribune reports.

Said Perry: “The indictment by the Travis County district attorney’s office, this drunk DA that had used this office, we think, for political purposes… it had a real corrosive effect on our ability to raise money. The political opponents, they did their damage,” he later added of his legal problems.”

Perry Drops Presidential Bid

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Rick Perry “is calling it quits on his 2016 White House bid,” ABC News reports.

Said Perry: “We have a tremendous field – the best in a generation – so I step aside knowing our party is in good hands, and as long as we listen to the grassroots, the cause of conservatism will be too. That is why today I am suspending my campaign for the presidency of the United States.”

He added that he has “no regrets” about his run.

Perry Has No Campaign Staff Left in New Hampshire

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Rick Perry’s campaign organization in New Hampshire has dissolved, WMUR reports.

Veteran strategist Michael Dennehy said that “while he still considers himself a strong supporter of the Republican presidential candidate, he no longer considers himself an advisor to the campaign. He said he has not been paid by the campaign since June and has not heard from Perry or anyone from Perry’s national campaign for the past month.”

Taegan Goddard

Taegan Goddard

Taegan Goddard is the founder of Political Wire -- which for more than two decades has been one of the nation's most influential political news sites.

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