Perry refuses to 'take the bait' on Trump's sweat slap

This is a rush transcript from "Your World," June 16, 2015. This copy may not be in its final form and may be updated.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DONALD TRUMP, R-PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: And I can tell you, some of the candidates, they went in, they didn't know the air conditioner didn't work.

(LAUGHTER)

TRUMP: They sweated like dogs. They didn't know the room was too big because they didn't have anybody there. How are they going to beat ISIS?  I don't think it's going to happen.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

NEIL CAVUTO, HOST: Now, I think the Donald was talking about the gov, this gov, as in former Texas Governor Rick Perry, who chose this dramatic, if not stifling hot hangar on a typical Dallas June day to announce his presidential run.

Now, sure, Perry was sweating, but, I'm telling you, it sure was a cool backdrop. And that was the point, the cool message he was sending.

Governor, what do you make of Donald Trump's apparently unimpressed reaction? What did you think?

RICK PERRY, R-PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Well, I'm not going to be running against any of those other candidates. I'm going to be running for a very positive vision for this country.

And I will let the Donald do what the Donald does. But we're going to be focused on the real issues that Americans care about. And they care about how we get this country back working.

And having been the chief executive of the 12th largest economy in the world for the last 14 years -- and, by the way, by all results, 1.5 million jobs created out there -- I would think that would even impress the Donald.

CAVUTO: When he made the ISIS slap, I thought, well, by my memory here, you and, I think, Senator Lindsey Graham are the only veterans in the race.  You're, of course, a decorated captain in the Air Force.

So, I -- did you take umbrage to that, like, hey, hello?

PERRY: I don't.

I have been involved in this business for a long time. And, generally, I try to stay focused over on the positive side of things. And taking the bait of someone who's wanting to be critical, that's their choice.

We have got a great story to tell, not only about how to get this country back working, but obviously having the experience of not only having worn the uniform of this country, but also having been the commander in chief of the Texas military forces, the National Guard, we have deployed them for massive hurricanes, for the events down on the border, obviously, how we dealt with Ebola, all that executive experience, I will suggest to you, is very, very important as Americans decide, looking back over what will then be eight years of a young, inexperienced United States senator and the challenges he's had with being able to deal with the economic issues and particularly the foreign policy issues that we find ourselves in today.

So, I think Americans want this really experienced executive that also has military background and military experience, an individual with results.  When you look at the state of Texas, it's somewhere around the size economically of either Canada or Australia. So, what we did over the course of those last 14 years is not small potatoes.

CAVUTO: All right, now, Governor, it wasn't that long ago Chris Christie was saying about his own experience should he choose to run for president that he has been combat-ready for the White House.

He was talking specifically about dealing with the legislature in the other party's hands, but some took that to say that he was trying to show his military gravitas. I think that was a bit of an unfair characterization.  Nevertheless, do you think candidates should be very, very careful in using language like that, or even Donald Trump, in using language like he did with you?

PERRY: Well, I think a lot of Americans know the difference between someone who actually has combat experience or someone who's worn the uniform of the country.

I know what Chris was talking about. And I understand, you know, his bravado,and having dealt with the folks that he deals with in New Jersey.  But this is really going to be not a -- don't tell me, show me election.  As I said in my remarks as we launched our campaign, it's about, what's your results? When have you led? Don't tell me what you're going to do or thinking about. What's your real track record? What have you done?

And I will put my track record of job creation and of dealing with issues.  I mean, nobody gave me a manual and said, here's how you deal with the space shuttle disintegrating in East Texas. Nobody said, here's how you deal with hurricanes. And you're going to have literally tens of thousands coming from a neighboring state into your state. Nobody gave me the how-to manual, Neil, of how to deal with Ebola or with the crisis on our border.

All of that, I will suggest to you, is invaluable experience. When you couple that with your world view, where you have been, how you dealt with issues as you are in this military, as the commander in chief, that starts building a resume that the American people are going to say, you know what, that's the kind of individual that we need at the helm of this country at a most important time.

CAVUTO: All right, now, the rap against you, Governor, is that you had a stumble in 2012, when you came out. Now, you said you weren't feeling well at the time and you weren't ready and you have even joked about it in retrospect. But you -- rarely do politicians get a second chance to make a first impression.

How do you counter the notion that, while people might be thirsting for a governor with that experience, that executive experience, and you do have an enviable track record when it -- when you're talking about creating jobs and all of that, that the attention has shifted to the Jeb Bushes or the Scott Walkers? How do you win voters who are hearing them and ignoring you?

PERRY: Well, if the polls are any indication, it's a wide-open opportunity.

Nobody's got a lock on this and we're going to have debates, starting on the 6th of August. And I look forward to standing on the stage with those individuals and having a good back and forth about what the...

(CROSSTALK)

CAVUTO: So, you hope to be in the top 10? You hope to make that top 10, right?

(CROSSTALK)

PERRY: Oh, absolutely. I feel very comfortable we will be on the stage and talking about our positive vision for the future of this country.

That's one thing, not only can we talk about it; we have actually done it as well.

CAVUTO: What about money? You and I touched on this when we caught up in Orlando when you were there for that economic summit of Governor Rick Scott, and this idea that, in this day and age, if you think about it, Governor, already, Governor Bush will have about $100 million, which is five times the amount that Mitt Romney had at this stage four years ago.

And I'm wondering, how do you compete with that? You have got a lot of money, but you don't have that kind of money.

PERRY: Well, we will have enough money to compete.

I remind people I got outspent 4-1 back in 2002 for governor. Money is important to have enough, but if the idea is, you know, if we will just raise enough money, we can buy the presidency of the United States, Americans aren't going to fall for that. Never have, never will.

CAVUTO: OK.

Now, looking at the economy right now, and everything that's going on, there are fears, as you know, that the market is getting toppy, the Federal Reserve is going to raise interest rates -- I don't want to make this wonky, but if you will just indulge this fear that is building that the markets, despite the run-up, are getting toppy, rates are going to rise and come around the campaign season, we could be looking at an economy and market that starts tanking. That's a fear. How does a President Perry address that?

PERRY: Well, you start right off the bat and you open up the XL pipeline.  You start doing everything that you can to use the energy resources in North America.

You drive down that corporate tax rate to send a message that we're going to be giving incentives to manufacturers to come back. You lower the costs of electricity with the use of our natural resources here in North America and you couple those two together. And you could have a very quick message sent that not only are we going to have a better future, but it's going to be an incredibly bright future with a manufacturing renaissance like we have never seen.

And that can happen in a very short period of time and I think give great comfort to those that are looking for places to invest in this country.

CAVUTO: Governor, do you think that if you're not a governor or senator, haven't been one of those, or congressman, that if you're Donald Trump and you have just been a businessman, a successful businessman, but never held elected office at all, that hurts you?

PERRY: Well, I think it's the full package is what you're looking for.

Listen, Carly Fiorina is a very, very capable CEO. I have negotiated with her moving Hewlett-Packard to Houston back in the mid-2000s. So everybody brings their talent to the table. But I think when you look at the full package, if you will, who is it that's out there that's got the 14 years of experience of running the 12th largest economy in the world?

Nobody can stand on the stage and say that they have done that. Nobody can say that during the most powerful recession since the great recession, Texas created 1.5 million jobs.

CAVUTO: All right.

PERRY: It didn't happen by accident. It was because we put policies, tax policies, regulatory policies into place. Nobody's going to be able to stand on the stage and say, you know what? All of that in the same package and he's also worn the uniform of the country.

CAVUTO: All right.

PERRY: That's going to be a difficult thing for anybody to stand on the stage and say, you know what, yes, but.

CAVUTO: Governor, I think that's what they call a slap back.

Governor Rick Perry, thank you, sir. Very good seeing you.

(LAUGHTER)

PERRY: Neil, it's good to be with you, brother. Godspeed.

CAVUTO: All right.

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