Rick Perry is throwing his support behind fellow Texan Ted Cruz.

On MSNBC's "Morning Joe," Perry praised the Republican senator's "courage" and called him "the best listener" in D.C.

"I'm really enthusiastic that this man, Ted Cruz, will be ready to be commander in chief on day one," Perry said Monday.

The former Texas governor broke the news in an interview with Politico on Sunday night. Perry told Politico that “of those individuals who have a chance to win the Republican primary, at this juncture, from my perspective, Ted Cruz is by far the most consistent conservative in that crowd."

Cruz and Perry share more than just the Lone Star State. They've both made the repeal of the Affordable Care Act one of the central issues of their respective political careers. They're also both staunch opponents of abortion, the federal regulation of education, and amnesty for undocumented immigrants.

Perry himself launched a bid for president last year, but dropped out in September. He also ran for president in 2012. Although he was an early front-runner, his campaign took a turn for the worse after several high-profile gaffes. Most notably, he forgot one of the three federal organizations he planned to cut as president during one of the GOP debates.

It was the "oops" heard round the world.