Texas Governor Rick Perry attends groundbreaking ceremony for Teletón USA CRIT children's rehabilitation center in San Antonio, Texas, on August 6th, 2013.
Texas Governor Rick Perry attends groundbreaking ceremony for Teletón USA CRIT children's rehabilitation center in San Antonio, Texas, on August 6th, 2013. Marjorie Kamys Cotera

During a Tuesday appearance on MSNBC’s Morning Joe, Gov. Rick Perry stayed mum on questions about his criminal indictment in Travis County. Instead, the focus shifted to 2016, and what the possible presidential contender would do different from his failed 2012 bid.

The governor admitted he was “arrogant” going into that race, after having successfully run for governor three times, and that he wasn’t healthy having just undergone back surgery. Perry said that he wasn’t prepared, and “that’s what I’ve been working on for the past 22 months.”

Perry said he would make a decision about 2016 next year. “I think America needs a competent leader,” he said.

Asked how — as a possible president — he would handle the terrorist group known as the Islamic State, Perry said that he would put “U.S. assets and special opps” on the ground in countries fighting those extremists.

Watch video of his full interview here: 

Texans need the truth. Help us report it.

Become a member. Join today.

Choose an amount or learn more about membership.

Alana Rocha was the director of news partnerships for The Texas Tribune until June 2022. She was previously a multimedia reporter, after working in television and radio news for eight years. Alana covered...