Former Texas Governor, presidential candidate and converted Donald Trump booster Rick Perry is reported to be dancing the sidestep into the world of reality television this fall.
The former governor is “exclusively” confirmed to be a competitor in the 23rd Season of the ABC network competition, Dancing with the Stars, according to reports from ET. Perry has yet to independently verify the gig at the time of publication via press agents or his social media accounts.
Perry is neither the first conservative contestant or Texas politician to compete for the show’s Mirror Ball Trophy. Former U.S. House of Majority Leader Tom DeLay (R-TX) finished in 13th place during the ninth season, paired with Cheryl Burke. Daily Caller founder and Fox News Channel host Tucker Carlson finished last in DWTS’ 3rd Season, matched with Russian ballroom dance champion Elena Grinenko. The most successful conservative figure and daughter of former Alaska Governor Sarah Palin, Bristol Palin, appeared twice – claiming bronze and later competing in an all-star series.
Donald Trump’s ex-wife, Marla Maples, appeared in the most recently-completed season, finishing in the top 10.
Perry’s move into reality television marks an interesting twist for a political figure whose career does not appear to be complete. As Breitbart Texas previously reported, the former governor bests current U.S. Senator Ted Cruz in a hypothetical matchup for 2018, carving out a nine-point advantage in the Public Policy Polling (PPP) survey. Apart from Perry, Sen. Cruz would reportedly defeat any other primary or general election foe tested.
Opinion polling aside, DWTS gives Perry access to a potentially new audience where Nielsen ratings have shown an average 18 million viewers for a season premiere.
Leading up to the 2016 Republican presidential primary, Perry publicly blamed a back surgery for his difficult performance in the 2012 contest. It remains to be seen if the former governor is limited in available choreography due to his 2011 spinal fusion and nerve decompression.
Other competitors reported to be joining Perry, drawing more eyes to his early performances are rapper and fellow Texan Vanilla Ice; retired NFL star Calvin Johnson; Olympian Ryan Lochte and more.
Perry is scheduled to take the stage on September 12.
UPDATE
On Tuesday morning, the former governor confirmed via Twitter that he intends to compete on the Disney-owned network out of dedication to “helping veterans”.
Logan Churchwell is the Assistant Editor and a founding member of the Breitbart Texas team. You can follow him on Twitter @LCChurchwell.