Rick Perry Suspends Presidential Campaign
BLITZER: Let's get back to the breaking news. There you see him. Rick Perry, the former governor of Texas, the Republican presidential candidate, about to announce that he's suspending -- specific legal words -- suspending his race for the White House right now. A line in his prepared speech says he has made this decision. We're going to stand by. We'll hear exactly what he has to say. But let's bring back our political experts, including S.E. Cupp. S.E., you know, Rick Perry on paper, he had a lot going for him. And recently, he decided to make that move, really going directly after Donald Trump. I remember he came to Washington. He was giving a speech blasting Donald Trump, thinking maybe that would help him. It clearly did not. Trump sort of basks in the fact that Rick Perry's ratings, or poll numbers, went down after he directly went after him. What do you make of that?</s>CUPP: Yes. It was almost this perfect storm for Rick Perry. Here comes Donald Trump encroaching on one of Rick Perry's signature issues, immigration. And I think he thought rightly that it was safe to go after this businessman who was speaking very offensively about this issue and bring his record to bear and his experience to bear. Obviously that backfired. I'm not sure that's exactly why or the only reason that Rick Perry's campaign can't go any further, but it reminds me a little bit of 2012 and Tim Pawlenty. You know, Tim Pawlenty got in in May of 2011. And by August, mid-August of 2011, he ended his campaign. And I remember seeing him a few months later socially and I asked him, you know, knowing what you know now, do you wish you had stuck in a little bit longer? Because at that time Republicans were not enthusiastic about Mitt Romney and they had Newt Gingrich and Rick Santorum, and had maybe Tim Pawlenty stuck around and the field had cleared, he might have been the viable alternative. There's not much you can do when you run out of money, but I'm wondering if Rick Perry, once this huge field whittles down, if Rick Perry thinks, maybe I got out a little too soon.</s>BLITZER: Tim Pawlenty was the governor of Minnesota and there were high expectations for him that didn't exactly work out.</s>CUPP: Yes.</s>BLITZER: And you're absolutely right, he dropped even before that first contest. The caucuses in Iowa. And Nia-Malika Henderson, it's still important to know that this is the first casualty of this race for the White House among the Republicans. Presumably fairly soon there are going to be some more.</s>NIA-MALIKA HENDERSON, CNN SENIOR POLITICAL CORRESPONDENT: That's right. Because as S.E. said, it takes money to run for president. You can't just sort of live off the fat of the land because you've got to pay people in these different states. You've got to try to build an infrastructure. And one thing that would be interesting to see is who gets Rick Perry's people. He had a pretty good team in South Carolina, people he hadn't been paying for awhile. Do people start to try to poach those folks that he had, particularly in South Carolina, some top folks there who really know the state, who starts to encroach on what Perry had tried to lay down in South Carolina. We have to see who drops out next. I mean there are so many people who are really at the basement in terms of these polls. They're going to be featured in our CNN debate, but again, can they just continue to live off the fat of the land rather than seeing some increase in their poll numbers. So we'll have to see who's next. I mean, you've got people like Gilmore, even Jindal. He is not doing too well in the polls. People like George Pataki, again, great resumes. These people, in a prior field, they might have been standout candidates, but in this field, it's not so much experience that a lot of these voters are looking for. They're looking for attitude, they're looking for this populist rhetoric that Donald Trump really has mastered so far.</s>BRIANNA KEILAR, CNN SENIOR POLITICAL CORRESPONDENT: It really is amazing what a difference, Wolf, four years make in this.</s>BLITZER: All right.</s>KEILAR: An d-- sorry, Wolf?</s>BLITZER: Hold on for a moment, Brianna. I want to get to you but he's getting ready to announce that he's suspending his campaigns. Rick Perry at the Eagle Forum in St. Louis.</s>RICK PERRY (R), FORMER TEXAS GOVERNOR: An extraordinarily powerful economic place. From 2007 through the end of 2014, 1.5 million jobs were created in that one state. While the rest of the country collectively lost 400,000 jobs. Those are conservative policies. It is a place where life was protected and people flocked there. They came in droves. We added some six million people to our populations during that decade. And in case you're asking, are you thinking it wasn't because the weather is so great in August that they came?</s>PERRY: They came there because they -- there's still a place where freedom matters, where freedom reigns. For me the message has always been greater than the man. The conservative movement has always been about principles, not about personalities. Our nominee should embody those principles. He or she must make the case for the cause of conservatism more than the cause of their own celebrity. I still believe in the power of that message, a message that offers hope, redemption and solace in the midst of storms. When I gave my life to Christ, I said your ways are greater than my ways. Your will is superior to mine. Today I submit to you his will remains a mystery, but some things have become very clear to me. That is why today I am suspending my campaign for the presidency of the United States. We have a tremendous field of candidates, probably the greatest group of men and women. I step aside knowing our party is in good hands, as long as we listen to the grassroots, listen to that cause of conservatism. If we do that, then our party will be in good hands. And I want to share with you -- I give you this news with no regrets. It has been a privilege for me. It has been an honor to travel this country, to speak with the American people about their hopes and their dreams. To see a sense of optimism being prevalent, despite this season of cynical politics. And as I approach the next chapter of my life, I do it with the love of my life at my side, Anita Perry. We have a house in the country. We have two beautiful children, two absolutely adorable, beautiful, smart granddaughters, four dogs and the absolute best sunset you have ever seen from the back porch of that house.</s>PERRY: Indeed life is good.</s>PERRY: I am a blessed man.</s>BLITZER: All right. So there you have it. Rick Perry, the former governor of Texas, three-term governor of Texas, the Republican presidential candidate, announcing he's suspending his campaign right now. The word "suspend" is a legal word. They can't just say they're dropping out because there's some technical money issues that have to be followed. You suspend a campaign, you can continue to fund raise a bit. If you cancel it right away, presumably you can't, so the lawyers always tell these candidates who are dropping out, use the word "suspend," don't say simply dropping out. But it's clear he no longer is a candidate for president of the United States. We'll take a quick break. Much more right after this.