Former Texas Gov. Rick Perry said Tuesday he supports Donald Trump's presidential campaign for many reasons, but the major factor behind his decision to back his one-time foe is because he's concerned about the Supreme Court.
"When you think about what's going to happen over the next four years, and what has the possibility and probability of impacting America for the next 40 or 50 years, it is the Supreme Court," Perry, who dropped his own bid for the GOP nomination, told CNN's
"New Day" host Chris Cuomo.
"I'm a lot more comfortable with Donald Trump choosing an individual that is going to be on the Supreme Court that's going to impact policies my children are going to be affected by than Hillary Clinton."
Last fall, Perry referred to Trump as both a "cancer to conservatism" and a "barking carnival act," phrases he now says were just part of the "heat of battle."
"Anyone who pays attention to American politics know there are things that are said, and after you get your intramurals over with, you get back together and you support the team, and that's what's going on here," Perry said.
On Fox News, Perry told
"America's Newsroom" host Martha MacCallum that he believes Trump is far ahead with military voters, and he believe that will have a strong impact on the election.
"Clinton has some real issues that will have to be addressed by her and the Democrats dealing with the issues of Benghazi, and dealing with the lack of support that is perceived," said Perry.
He also pointed out that the Republican Party is what "it's always been," and its members have differing views, but at the end of the day, he believes a strong coalition will line up behind Trump, and he admires House Speaker Paul Ryan for reaching and saying he and Trump need to talk.
"You never heard him say, 'Never Trump,'" said Perry. "So we are going through a process, and the process works. That was my point that I made over the course of the last few days.
"Donald Trump wasn't my first choice. I was my first choice. And Donald Trump wasn't my second choice. But he was the choice of the vast majority of the Republican primary voters."
Sandy Fitzgerald ✉
Sandy Fitzgerald has more than three decades in journalism and serves as a general assignment writer for Newsmax covering news, media, and politics.
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