TEXAS, USA — Former Texas Gov. Rick Perry, who served nearly three years as U.S. Secretary of Energy under former President Donald Trump, was noncommittal about whether he would support the former president in his reelection bid during a Wednesday interview with The Texas Tribune.
Perry told the Tribune he was attending a Republican Governors Association conference on Tuesday in Orlando, where Florida Gov. Rick DeSantis was speaking, just hours before Trump announced his third bid for the White House from Mar-a-lago. Perry said he’d committed to the conference three weeks ago.
“I’m of the opinion that this will all sort itself out,” Perry said in an interview. “For me personally, it’s kind of like, show me what you got. Whether it’s Donald Trump, whether it’s DeSantis, whether it’s somebody that we haven’t seen yet.”
He added that it was still early, and after running for statewide office six times, he knows how the campaign and election processes go.
“I respect the process, and may the best person win,” Perry added. “It’s a fair and open and free for all, so it will be interesting to watch.”
Perry is Texas’ longest-serving governor, serving from 2000-15. He ran for the GOP nomination for president twice, most recently when he faced off against Trump but withdrew in September 2015. From 2017-19, Perry headed the U.S. Department of Energy and served on Trump’s cabinet.
Trump’s popularity within his party is up for debate after the midterm elections, in which candidates he endorsed underperformed. Meanwhile, DeSantis’ political star is rising after he won his reelection bid for governor in Florida by 20 points on the same night.
According to a new GOP poll, Texas Republican voters favor DeSantis over Trump for the 2024 Republican nomination.
This article originally appeared in The Texas Tribune at https://www.texastribune.org/2022/11/16/rick-perry-donald-trump-endorse/.
The Texas Tribune is a member-supported, nonpartisan newsroom informing and engaging Texans on state politics and policy. Learn more at texastribune.org.
