Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker once held a commanding lead in Iowa, but has slipped significantly since Donald Trump’s surge. Still, he looks at recent history to argue he isn’t in trouble, and insists that his plans to “wreak havoc on Washington” will reinvigorate his flagging campaign for the Republican presidential nomination.
“I remind people all the time, the last time there was an open seat for president, literally at this point, Rudy Giuliani and Fred Thompson were ahead of guys named John McCain and Mitt Romney,” Walker told TheBlaze, referring to the 2008 presidential primary. “On the Democratic side, Hillary Clinton was way ahead of John Edwards and Barack Obama. So, we take this race very seriously, but we realize people who were ahead in the polls right now are very rarely the nominees, at least in recent times. We are playing the long game. We are putting in the effort in Iowa to do well there just as we are in the other early states.”
Republican presidential candidate and Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker speaks to fairgoers at the Iowa State Fair, August 17, 2015 in Des Moines, Iowa. (Photo by Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)
Walker dominated Iowa polls for much of 2015, but has not led since July. Accordingly, he’s now talking about “doing well” in the state's caucuses, rather than promising victory.
“In the first four states you’ve got to be number one, two or three to get the momentum we need going forward,” Walker said. “I’m confident we’ve got a message that resonates and people are reminded how we wreaked havoc against the status quo in our state capital and see the plans we have to wreak havoc on Washington, I think there going to be a renewed interest in our campaign.”
The Walker campaign launched an ad taking on former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush over the Iran nuclear deal. Asked whether he would rip up the deal on his first day in office, Bush answered, “I would certainly look at it.”
Walker said he would get rid of the deal on day one and that no candidate should have to ponder the matter by January 2017.
“If you think it’s a bad deal, as I do, I think it’s a horrible deal, then you should be prepared to do something about it,” Walker said. “This is a bad deal. I don’t need to wait for people in Washington to tell me whether I should or shouldn’t do this. I’ve talked to the experts here and around the world. They know it’s a bad deal. I’m prepared to be president on day one. If you know it’s a bad deal and you’re not prepared to terminate it from day one, you really need to question whether someone is ready to be the president. I am ready. To be president on day one and ready to terminate the bad deal.”
Walker didn't take any shots at Trump after the current frontrunner signed the Republican National Committee's so-called loyalty pledge promising not to run as a third-party candidate. Walker told TheBlaze that any GOP candidate should be willing to support the Republican nominee in the fall.
“In the end, I’ve said all along I’m the best candidate to take on Hillary Clinton. It’s the point I made in the first debate,” Walker said. “But in the end, I know the worst thing for America is Hillary Clinton being elected. So, while I think I’m the best candidate to take on Hillary Clinton, in the end, I will support whomever the voters pick to be the Republican nominee. I would encourage everybody else to do the same.”
