Former Texas Gov. Rick Perry slammed fellow Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump on Thursday, describing his 2016 message as “nonsense.”
“I have a message for my fellow Republicans and the independents who will be voting in the primary process,” Perry said in a blistering statement. “[W]hat Mr. Trump is offering is not conservatism, it is Trump-ism — a toxic mix of demagoguery and nonsense.”
{mosads}Perry hit back at Trump’s criticisms of his handling of border security. He said Trump didn’t understand the issue and touted his own efforts as governor to secure the border while blasting the federal response from the Obama administration.
“Rather than thanking Texas for stepping into a gap it shouldn’t have to fill, Mr. Trump has made clear that he believes the states should fend for themselves on border security,” Perry said.
“Not only is this wrong, it perpetuates the same failed policies that have left our southern border porous and vulnerable,” Perry said, adding Americans didn’t want “lip service” on the issue.
Trump, who has made illegal immigration a centerpiece of his campaign, has repeatedly criticized Perry’s efforts in Texas to secure the southern border.
Perry’s statement came hours after he also hit Trump during an appearance on MSNBC, saying the businessman and reality TV star didn’t know what he was talking about on border security.
Perry on MSNBC said Trump didn’t understand that “border security is a federal responsibility.”
Perry was among the first Republicans to denounce Trump’s comments about criminals and “rapists” immigrating from Mexico, which sparked controversy.
“Rick Perry failed at the border. Now he’s critical of me,” Trump responded in a tweet. “He needs a new pair of glasses to see the crimes committed by illegal immigrants.”
That set off a back-and-forth between the pair, with Perry releasing a 3-minute video saying Trump’s remarks were “way out of touch with reality.”
“He was much nastier than he should have been, and really, he failed at the border,” Trump said Wednesday on “Fox and Friends.”