Perry: I ‘Feel More Polished’ and ‘More Prepared’

Former Texas Governor Rick Perry said that he was “a pretty different individual” from 2012 and that he felt “more polished” and “substantially more prepared” in an interview broadcast on Wednesday’s “Kelly File” on the Fox News Channel.

“I think obviously the people have seen in the last 24 months that this is a pretty different individual than they saw back in 2011, 2012. And, you know, the back surgery’s over with and the preparation’s been done for the last 24 months…I not only feel more polished, I feel substantially more prepared” he stated. Perry added that he would announce whether he would run in May or June.

Perry also talked about immigration, and said that his previous remarks saying that those who opposed granting illegal immigrants in-state tuition didn’t have a heart were “inartful,” adding “what I should have explained substantially better is this was an economic issue that the people of the State of Texas overwhelmingly passed, I think there were five votes against it out of 150 House members and 31 Senators, there were only five votes against it. This was an economic issue, an economic issue we had to make because these immigration policies have been foisted on us because the federal government absolutely refuses to do its Constitutional duty and secure the border. I don’t think this immigration issue is going to go anywhere until the federal government does its Constitutional duty and secure[s] that border. And if they want to have some help on how to do it, we can tell them.”

He also declared “people know that what is at the core of my belief is, that if you don’t get that border secure, you can’t have a conversation about immigration. And I think we’ve proven day after day that Texas is doing the job that the federal government’s supposed to be doing, and that is securing that border.” He also urged Congressional Republicans to undo the president’s executive action on immigration.

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