Former Texas Governor Rick Perry said he is considering another run for the presidential nomination. Perry ran for the nomination in 2012 and again in 2016.
Perry announced his campaign in June of 2015 and withdrew in September before the first primaries and caucuses. He initially endorsed Ted Cruz and then endorsed Donald Trump when Cruz ended his campaign.
In an interview with CNN's Jim Acosta, Perry said he was considering a run in 2024, but he has not decided either way.
"If you'll recall, I didn't announce for president in 2011 until August, so we've got a lot of time left," Perry said.
"Does that mean you're thinking about jumping in?" Acosta asked.
"I got your attention now, didn't I?" Perry answered.
In July of 2015, Perry described Donald Trump as a "cancer on conservatism" in a forum organized by Opportunity and Freedom PAC, which supported Perry's campaign.
"[Trump] offers a barking carnival act that can be best described as Trumpism: a toxic mix of demagoguery, mean-spiritedness and nonsense that will lead the Republican Party to perdition if pursued," Perry said.
In the interview with Acosta, Perry he and Trump understood each other and worked together with Perry becoming Trump's energy secretary.
"We play hardball in our politics," Perry said. "I got over it. He got over it."
Perry said immigration will remain a top issue over the next two years. He said the current spike is a result of policies put in place by the Biden Administration.
"I'm very biased in my observation as I think we had this issue in hand four years ago," he said.
Perry also talked about gun control. In the Texas legislature, HB 2744 would ban the sale of rifles with a caliber greater than .22 and able to use a detachable magazine to anyone younger than 21.
The measure passed out of the House Select Committee on Community Safety but was never given a date to be debated among the full House.
Perry said the more substantial issue to discuss is mental health.
"That is where we need to be focusing," he said. "We need to make sure our schools are secure and that we have security around those schools, and that requires weapons."
On a potential presidential run, Perry said the chances are "slim" he would run again in 2024, but he said he still has time to make a decision.
"It certainly is something I haven't taken off the table, but the chances of it happening are probably a little bit slim," he said. "But who knows? There's a lot of time left."
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