Former Texas Gov. Rick Perry launched his 2016 bid for the White House in Addison, Texas, Thursday afternoon.

“Today I am running for the presidency of the United States of America,” he told an enthusiastic crowd.

He criticized Obama policies at home and abroad, saying, “Our economic slowdown is not inevitable. It just happens to be the direct result of bad economic policy.”

And Perry continued, “Weakness at home has led to weakness abroad. The world has descended into a chaos of this president’s own making,” where “Ramadi is merely a setback.”

“No decision has caused more harm than the president’s decision to withdraw troops from Iraq,” Perry told the crowd, and he lamented that cities “once secured by American blood” are now being taken by America’s enemies.

But, he declared to his supporters, “We are a resilient country.” “We even made it through Jimmy Carter. We will make it through the Obama years.”

• Five things to know about Rick Perry

Prior to his official campaign kickoff speech, Perry took to Twitter and Snapchat to ask for support for “#Perry2016.”

Backstage before my big announcement. #Perry2016pic.twitter.com/dMyaRbu5zM

— Rick Perry (@GovernorPerry) June 4, 2015

On the transient photo-sharing service Snapchat, he also posted the video to his followers.

First presidential candidate to officially announce on @Snapchat?@GovernorPerry pic.twitter.com/brGuU5jViO

— Jacqueline Alemany (@JaxAlemany) June 4, 2015

Perry has been a fixture on the national stage for some time: he became governor of Texas when his predecessor, George W. Bush, was elected president in 2000, and he served for a record 14 years. Between 2010 and 2011, he also chaired the Republican Governor’s Association.

He previously ran for president in 2012, was initially considered to be a strong contender for the nomination, but he eventually dropped out when his momentum waned. Perry’s fourth term as governor ended earlier this year, and since then, he’s maintained a busy travel schedule, speaking to conservative gatherings and voters in early primary and caucus states to keep his name in the mix.