Two and half years ago, if you had to guess whether Rick Perry would make it past the halfway point of Donald Trump’s first term, you probably would’ve gone with “hell no.” Perry appeared primed for a scandal-inspired departure or an unceremonious firing, considering the Dancing with the Stars alum reportedly didn’t know what the Energy Department did until after he was nominated as its secretary. (He also famously said it would be one of several federal agencies he would abolish while running for president on 2012.) Yet, against all odds, Perry still stands! And he’s apparently planning an exit on his own terms.

Bloomberg reports that Perry “has been seriously considering his departure for weeks.” According to two sources familiar with his thinking, Perry’s “motivation in seeking to leave before the end of Trump’s first term is a desire to build his income before retiring,” presumably for some sort of industry gig, though another reality TV stint is of course always an option.

An Energy Department spokeswoman denied the former Texas governor would be leaving the administration anytime soon, saying in a statement that “He is happy where he is serving President Trump and leading the Department of Energy.” Unlike some other cabinet members, Perry has reportedly “enjoyed a good rapport” with the president, which would explain why we’ve never seen his name mentioned in some sort of Twitter tirade. Trump apparently asked if Perry wanted to take over as Homeland Security secretary before he asked Kirstjen Nielsen to resign earlier this month. Perry declined, and would presumably not have been a great fit for the second iteration of D.H.S. Stephen Miller is trying to reshape in his white-ragey image. As Bloomberg notes, during his presidential campaign, Perry accused his G.O.P. opponents of not having a “heart” about immigrants. In Texas, Perry helped advance legislation that allowed undocumented children of immigrants to pay in-state tuition for college.

Rick Perry himself may not be the sharpest crayon in the pack: at Texas A&M University, the future Energy Secretary got a B, two Cs, two Ds, and an F in his chemistry classes, according to The Daily Beast. He also got a C in physics, and a D in a class titled “Meats.” But Perry, at least, knows how to stay under the radar, and apparently has a knack for timing leaks about his career to coincide with the release of the Mueller report.

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