Walker 'punts' on evolution question

Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker on Wednesday declined to answer whether he believes in evolution.

The Republican governor, during a question-and-answer session after a speech in London, where he is on a four-day trade mission, was asked whether he believes in or accepts evolution.


“For me, I’m going to punt on that one as well,” Walker said, prompting some murmurs in the crowd at Chatham House, a major London think tank. “That’s a question a politician shouldn’t be involved in one way or another. So, I’m going to leave that up to you.”

When pressed on the issue, Walker, a likely 2016 presidential candidate, said he didn’t want to focus on it. “To me, it’s just one of those, I’m just here to talk about trade, not to pontificate on other issues,” he said.

“I love the evolution on trade in Wisconsin, and I’d like to see a bigger evolution as well,” he joked later.

In a statement to POLITICO later Wednesday, Walker said: “Both science and my faith dictate my belief that we are created by God. I believe faith and science are compatible, and go hand in hand.”

A person on Walker’s political team added that the governor didn’t think his London trip “was an appropriate time to politicize the issue.”

“There will be plenty of time as we move forward to discuss topics like this,” the adviser said.

Walker’s comments came after a speech in which he touted the economic recovery in Wisconsin and the “special relationship” between the United Kingdom and the U.S.

A Pew Research Center poll last year found that 43 percent of Republicans believe humans have evolved over time, while 48 percent do not. The percentage of Republican voters who believe in evolution has dropped 11 points in four years, according to the survey.

Walker also declined to answer several questions on foreign policy, including those on the U.S. strategy with regards to the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant and whether to arm Ukrainian rebels, according to the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.

“I just don’t think you talk about foreign policy while you’re on foreign soil,” the governor said, saying he would stick to the “old-fashioned” custom of not criticizing a sitting U.S. president while abroad.

Walker leads all Republican challengers in Iowa, according to a recent Bloomberg Politics/Des Moines Register poll. He has made several major political hires, including former top Republican National Committee staffers Rick Wiley and Kirsten Kukowski and Madison Strategies co-founder Gary Marx.