Former New York Gov. George Pataki tells Newsmax TV he's considering running for president on the Republican ticket in 2016 because of the poor state of the world, the economy and the government under President Barack Obama.
"We are at greater risk of being attacked again in the United States today than we've been at any time since Sept. 11, and it's a failing of government leadership by the Obama administration," Pataki, who served as New York's governor from 1995 to 2006, said Monday.
Story continues below video.
Note: Watch Newsmax TV now on
DIRECTV Ch. 349 and
DISH Ch. 223
Get Newsmax TV on your cable system – Click Here Now
In addition, "when you look at the fact that we're not creating those middle class jobs that we need, and the president's solution is to borrow hundreds of billions more from the OPEC countries or from China to give things out free to people — it just doesn't work," he said.
"There's a compelling need to change the direction of our government, to change the direction of this country and that leaves me very strongly to be inclined to run …
"I know I have the background, the experience and I have the vision to be able to fundamentally change the way Washington functions."
Pataki's comments came during separate
Newsmax TV interviews with hosts J.D. Hayworth and Miranda Khan on "America's Forum," and with Steve Malzberg on "The Steve Malzberg Show
"I know I have the background, the experience and I have the vision to be able to fundamentally change the way Washington functions."
The New York Republican says he knows that if he runs, he's heading into a "wide open" Republican field of candidates, which he says is "a great thing for the party and the country."
"Four years ago there was an enormous rush to get behind [former presidential candidate] Mitt Romney early, and it's the opposite this time," he explained.
"People are open minded, they're listening, they want to hear ideas, they want to see your vision, they want to hear about what you were able to accomplish."
Pataki said he is not worries about others may or may not pursue GOP nomination.
"Who else is running really doesn't affect what I do, but we have taken a major step, which is to create a super PAC. We call it, 'We the People, Not Washington,'" he said.
"For obvious reasons I don't think Washington reflects the views of the people and it is the critical step towards mounting a campaign. I am as close as I've ever been. I can't say that I will be a candidate, but I'm headed up to New Hampshire again and I intend to be making the rounds constantly over the next few weeks."
Story continues below video.
Pataki has been a strong opponent of Obamacare, and he says repealing the president's signature healthcare law will be a top priority, if he is elected.
"It's one of the reasons we're not creating the jobs. It's one of the reasons small businesses are not hiring that next employee," he explained.
In addition, on "April 15, it's estimated 8 million Americans are going to get a tax bill because they didn't have adequate healthcare coverage, and they're going to be fined under Obamacare," he said.
"The law should go," he added.
However, the former Empire State leader says "the first item is always national security."
Pataki was in office when the United States was attacked by terrorists on Sept. 11, 2001, and he says it is a huge problem that Obama won't call Islamic terror by its name.
"We are in war and the war is' against Islamic terror, Islamic radicalism, and this administration won't even acknowledge that it exists," he explained.
"We can't win a war when you don't even recognize your opponent," he contended.
"It's just tragic that we know that ISIS is recruiting, training, organizing, planning to attack — not just in places like Paris but here in the United States as well. We need to aggressively go after them while they're over there before they have the chance to attack us again," he said.
Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton is the presumptive nominee for president on the Democrat ticket for 2016, and she is leading the field with
56 percent in a recent poll among likely Iowa caucus voters.
Pataki says that Clinton has two main areas of weakness from her tenure at the State Department.
"First, Benghazi was an absolute disgrace. Our ambassador was killed by radical Islamic terrorists in a well-organized attack that occurred on Sept. 11, and this administration blamed America, blamed us for some video that nobody saw and continues to this day to lie about what happened," he explained.
"That is inexcusable," he said.
"The other part is when Secretary Clinton was asked, 'What are you most proud of your accomplishments as secretary of state?' She couldn’t' answer the question," he added.
"That is very telling and if you look at the past six years, America's stature in the globe is worse."
Pataki also spoke about his long absence from politics.
"It's both a challenge and it's also an asset. I don't think people want someone whose whole life has been obsessed with holding political office and mine hasn't been," he said.
"I've had a great time in the private sector over the last eight years and yet, I've been very involved, listening and engaging with public policy.
"If as I expect I do choose to run, the fact that I have had this time away from government and away from politics is a positive. It does make it harder because people don't remember who I am, but we can remind them of that."
© 2024 Newsmax. All rights reserved.