Rick Perry Says Nevada Rancher's Racist Remarks Are A 'Side Issue'
"I don't know what he said but the fact is Cliven Bundy is a side issue here compared to what we're looking at in the state of Texas," Perry said. "He is an individual-deal with his issues as you may. What we have in the state of Texas, I don't get distracted about, is the federal government is coming in and attempting, from our perspective, to take over private property. And you must-f this country's to stay the land of freedom and liberty, private property rights must be respected."
In an interview with the New York Times published Thursday, Bundy claimed blacks would be "better off as slaves." CBS This Morning co-anchor Norah O'Donnell had asked Perry for his thoughts on Bundy's "very inflammatory racial comments." Earlier in the show, Perry more generally discussed Bundy's standoff with BLM officials that attempted to round up his cattle after he refused to pay fees for grazing on federal land.
"I think Cliven Bundy is a side story. The federal government and how the federal government deals with these issues of private citizens, whether it's on the public lands or whether, in the state of Texas we have a big issue about whether this is private land or this is public land. And rather than sending armed troops, I don't think that is the way that the government should be handling any of these things with its own citizens," said Perry. "We saw a huge debacle in Waco, Texas back a decade plus ago with how they dealt with that issue. I hope our government officials are very, very wise and use common sense when it comes to these issues of conflict within the borders of the United States dealing with something that should be able to do be dealt with in a substantially less-confrontational way."
In the wake of Bundy's headline-making showdown with the federal government Texas Republicans, including Attorney General Greg Abbott, who is running to succeed Perry when his term ends next year, have raised alarms about what they say is a BLM plan to take 90,000 acres along the Red River.
Other national conservatives have expressed support for Bundy's cause. On Thursday, two of Bundy's more prominent Republican supporters, Sen. Rand Paul of Kentucky and Sen. Dean Heller of Nevada both issued statements saying they disagreed with his comments.