Former Texas Gov. Rick Perry on Sunday offered up criticism of both Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker and New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, two likely rivals in the 2016 Republican presidential primary.
Asked on CNN’s “State of the Union” about a controversial moment last week at the Conservative Political Action Conference — wherein Walker suggested his showdown with union workers within his state was similar to fighting the Islamic State — Perry struck a diplomatic tone.
“I think the initial response when I heard that was, ‘that’s not right,’ ” he said. “You don’t make that connection. The governor’s gone back and clarified his remarks since then and clearly said that’s not what he was talking about. I respect that clarification and support him on that.”
Perry was then asked about Christie’s reputation as a blunt and sometimes brash public speaker, including the time he told protesters to “sit down and shut up.”
“That’s not how I would handle it,” said Perry with a chuckle. “Listen, we’re all different people. We all have different styles and different demeanors. The voting public will sort all of that out.”
All three governors attended the conference, which took place just outside of Washington, D.C. The annual event serves as a gauge for what and who conservative voters are most passionate about and is also considered a significant moment heading into Republican presidential primaries.
