WASHINGTON — At an Opportunity and Freedom PAC conference Wednesday, Rick Perry responded to Donald Trump by attacking his division of the country on immigration and his comments on Senator John McCain’s service in the Vietnam War.
“Donald Trump couldn’t stand for five minutes what John McCain endured for five and a half years,” Perry said to rousing applause at the Willard Hotel in downtown D.C.
Perry’s speech, mostly focused around how important the presidency is to today’s America, also attacked Trump’s celebrity status and his alleged inability to focus on the issues. Perry said he was personally offended by Trump’s comments about McCain, since both served in the military.
“That was one of the most offensive things I’ve heard a public official say in my 30+ years in politics,” said Perry.
Perry’s lambasting of Trump continued with comments about his inability to address the issues, and tendency to insult people instead of raise awareness about the issues.
“Donald Trump’s candidacy is a cancer on conservatism, and it must be clearly diagnosed, excised, and discarded,” said Perry at the event.
Perry even went so far as to compare Donald Trump to the Know-Nothing Party
“Donald Trump is the modern-day manifestation of the Know-Nothing Party,” said Perry.
The Trump-Perry battle began last week, with Perry calling Trump-ism “demagoguery and nonsense.” The Donald responded with a tweet challenging Perry’s intelligence.
.@GovernorPerry failed on the border. He should be forced to take an IQ test before being allowed to enter the GOP debate.
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) July 16, 2015
After attacking McCain’s service in the Vietnam War, Perry stated that Trump’s comments should automatically disqualify him from the presidency. Then, Trump returned by criticizing the Texas governor’s new glasses, which he said make him look a little smarter, alluding to Perry’s stumble in the 2012 GOP debate.
Now, Perry’s coming back at Trump, whose dominance in the polls doesn’t scare him.
“Americans may have a dalliance with this individual but if they are true conservatives, then that dalliance will not last very long,” said Perry. “What I’m focused on is spending a lot of time in the first three states. We will be making a case for conservatism, for executive leadership, an individual who’s worn the uniform of leader in this country.”