Rick Perry warns global threats are growing

Rick Perry says global threats are growing

Former governor of Texas gives speech on foreign policy on 'The Kelly File'

This is a rush transcript from "The Kelly File," April 6, 2015. This copy may not be in its final form and may be updated.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP, WEB AD)

RICK PERRY, FORMER TEXAS GOVERNOR: As a former captain in the United States Air Force, I know the global goods done by those who wear the uniform of our country. And as a former governor I'm acutely aware of the sacrifice made by our soldiers, our sailors, our airmen and our Marines.

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MEGYN KELLY, HOST: Well, that was new video from Governor Rick Perry and a big foreign policy speech he gave earlier today at the Citadel military college.

Rick Perry's with me now. He's the former governor of Texas and potential 2016 contender.

Governor, your timing could not have been better considering the headlines we saw this weekend chaos in Yemen and over the nuclear deal with Iran just to name a couple.

PERRY: Well, obviously this has been going on for some time, all of these cross currents, if you will, kind of come across our TVs and our newspapers, our radios over the course of the last 72 hours, it really brings it to a head of great concern obviously as this negotiation with this administration dealing with Iran.

I think like a lot of Americans we're really concerned about the rush, if you will, to get a deal with Iran. This is a country that's been exporting terrorism around the world. And we seem to be negotiating with them like they're an ally.

KELLY: You know you made the point today that if you become president you will actually invalidate the president's agreement with Iran. How would you do that?

PERRY: Well, obviously it's an agreement between the ayatollah and the president. That's all this is, it's an agreement. Congress needs to be brought in to this. If there's going to be any long-term affect at all, Congress must be part of this process. But if it's just that agreement, I think one of the first things I would do if I was president of the United States from the time I was sworn-in until the inaugural balls would be to invalidate that particular agreement because it is putting our best friend, the most vibrant democracy in the Middle East, in jeopardy. To allow the Iranians to get a nuclear weapon will do nothing more than create chaos in the Middle East and put that area on track. Well, it will create a Sunni bomb is what it will do.

KELLY: The president continues to say it's a good deal. I want to ask you though because tomorrow we're going to have news, Senator Rand Paul is expected to announce he's officially a candidate for the presidency. And you and he have had some back-and-forth because you sort of come out and staked this ground as a robust military person, the only potential candidate who's actually served in the US Military. And Rand Paul you've been critical of as having more isolationist or non-interventionalist position. He says there's not that much distance between you except he says he's learned from the mistakes that George W. Bush made and he doesn't think you have.

PERRY: Well, Iran coming into the contest, I think, would add some -- a nice prism to it, let me put it that way. He is a very capable United States senator. But having worn the uniform of this country, having been the governor for 14 years and had to deal with the issues that we face, seeing our troops deployed into those areas of combat, I've been in Iraq and Afghanistan with them. I understand what they go through. And I think the more important part of this is to articulate to this country as I did today the real challenge that we have as a country.

This administration is hollowing out our military. We do not have the capacity today to be fighting two wars in two different theaters today. And that must be addressed. And that's the bigger issue. And I think the more important issue for the American people to really focus on is the next president of the United States is going to absorb this chaos that's being created by this administration. So we need to talk about how we build our military back up, how we project the western values, if you will, and how we protect our allies and how we send clear messages to our enemies that if you cross a red line, there will be a consequence.

KELLY: Governor Rick Perry, great to see you tonight, sir.

PERRY: Thank you, Megyn.

KELLY: All the best to you.

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