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In a pre-departure interview, Texas Gov. Rick Perry briefly mentioned, and laughed about, PolitiFact.
We weren't there, but video posted by the San Antonio Express-News shows Perry telling Peggy Fikac of the newspaper and Mike Ward of the Houston Chronicle that on his watch, Texas had reduced "our nitrogen oxide levels by 63.5 percent."
"Say 63 percent," Perry then said, "that way, we won’t get PolitiFacted." Then he laughed. Off camera, Ward can he heard saying: "Not gonna miss that, are you?" See for yourself at about the 25:50 mark of the video with this story.
Last May, by the way, we rated Half True Perry’s claim that since 2000, Texas had reduced "harmful pollutants in the air like nitrogen oxide by 62.5 percent and ozone by 23 percent — a reduction that is 12 percent greater than the national average." The figures were accurate, but his claim took into account only one NOx source — industrial — which he failed to note. Nearly three-quarters of NOx emissions come from other sources. Perry’s declaration also didn’t reflect on the significance of federal oversight.
Our Sources
Truth-O-Meter article, "Perry correct on reductions in ozone, industrial NOx emissions since 2000, but overlooks most NOx emissions and federal regulatory role," PolitiFact Texas, May 26, 2014
Video, "Texas Gov. Rick Perry reflects on his years in office," interview of Gov. Rick Perry by Peggy Fikac, San Antonio Express-News, and Mike Ward, Houston Chronicle, Dec. 19, 2014 (posted online by the Express-News on Jan. 13, 2015)