A war of words over border security is ramping up between GOP White House contenders Donald Trump and Rick Perry, with the billionaire real estate tycoon tweeting the former Texas governor ought to be "forced to take an IQ test."
The barbs
began earlier this month when Trump criticized Perry on border security, saying he did not do enough "in terms of protecting people" as governor of Texas.
Perry offered a calm defense in an interview this week,
saying, "I'm focused on talking to the American people about the only person that's going to be standing on that stage that actually has done something about border security, not just talked about it."
But he lobbed a more leaded barb Thursday,
declaring nobody running for the presidency had more experience with problems along the nation's border with Mexico than he – and that "Donald Trump may not know" that border security is up to the federal government.
Perry also tossed out
a blistering statement, saying: "I have a message for my fellow Republicans and the independents who will be voting in the primary process: What Mr. Trump is offering is not conservatism, it is Trump-ism — a toxic mix of demagoguery and nonsense."
He then quickly followed up with a sharply worded tweet – using one of Trump's oft-used social platforms.
Trump quickly tweeted back:
He then issued his barbed call for "an IQ test before being allowed to enter the GOP debate" – a thinly veiled blast at Perry's fumbles during the 2012 campaign.
Trump has also taken on Arizona Republican Sen.
John McCain, who accused the businessman of having "fired up the crazies" in the GOP at a rally last Saturday in Phoenix.
Trump responded by tweeting that McCain “should be defeated in the primaries," and that he was a "dummy" for graduating "last in his class at Annapolis."
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