David Cameron Rebukes Scott Walker

British Prime Minister David Cameron is pushing back against a claim made by Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker that he had made comments critical of President Obama:

Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker says British Prime Minister David Cameron confided in him that he was concerned about the direction of American leadership. But there’s a problem with the Republican’s tidy critique of President Barack Obama: Cameron doesn’t remember it that way.

Walker, who has taken several trips overseas in recent months to study up on foreign policy in preparation for an all-but-certain presidential bid, told a roomful of Republican donors Friday that world leaders, including Cameron, are worried about the U.S. stepping back in the world. “The Prime Minister did not say that and does not think that,” a Downing Street spokesperson told TIME.

“I heard that from David Cameron back in February earlier when we were over at 10 Downing,” Walker said. “I heard it from other leaders around the world. They’re looking around realizing this lead from behind mentality just doesn’t work. It’s just not working.”

His comments came at the E2 Summit hosted by former Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney in Deer Valley, Utah, where Walker was auditioning for support from some of the Republican Party’s deep-pocketed donors.

Walker did indeed meet Cameron when he was in the United Kingdom on what was ostensibly billed as a trade mission for Wisconsin, but the recent comments from Walker were the first time that the Wisconsin Governor had made any claims that the British Prime Minister had said anything about the President of the United States. In all honesty, it’s simply not plausible that Cameron ever actually said any such thing to Walker and, furthermore, it seems more than a little inappropriate for Walker to be discussion private conversations made during a trip that was supposed to be about trade with Wisconsin in such a blatantly political context. Perhaps Walker was just hearing what he wanted to hear from the Prime Minister, or perhaps he just made it up because it fits in with standard Republican attitudes about the President. Whatever the reason, it’s yet another in a long line of things from Walker that are making him look pandering and amateurish. And yet, he is near the top of the polls in the race for the Republican nomination. Draw your own conclusions from that.

FILED UNDER: 2016 Election, US Politics, , , , , , , ,
Doug Mataconis
About Doug Mataconis
Doug Mataconis held a B.A. in Political Science from Rutgers University and J.D. from George Mason University School of Law. He joined the staff of OTB in May 2010 and contributed a staggering 16,483 posts before his retirement in January 2020. He passed far too young in July 2021.

Comments

  1. humanoid.panda says:

    Even after six years of this, the extent to which Republicans are willing to flaunt any and all norms of diplomacy and etiquette to fight the Kenyan usurper is shocking. One could say those people are Bolsheviks, but that would be wrong: the Bolsheviks learned very fast that when doing diplomacy, one must do it according to international norms.

  2. gVOR08 says:

    it’s yet another in a long line of things from Walker that are making him look pandering and amateurish. And yet, he is near the top of the polls in the race for the Republican nomination. Draw your own conclusions from that.

    I have. I long ago realized that there is no contradiction between being utterly unqualified and being popular with Republicans. (Cough – Sara Palin.)

    But you’re right, the most generous view is that Walker betrayed a confidence. Whether that’s true, he flat lied, or he’s completely delusional (my vote), wrt to foreign policy he’s a clown.

  3. stonetools says:

    Sadly, I see it as quite likely that Scott Walker will be one of the last two or three finalists in the Republican presidential nominee race.

    Even more sadly, I don’t see this hurting Walker a bit with the Republican base, who will not only condone Walker’s flouting of diplomatic norms, but will accept Walker’s version as the truth, despite Cameron’s disavowals.

  4. michael reynolds says:

    Walker strikes me as incredibly arrogant. So arrogant in this case as to try to turn the British PM into a pawn in his campaign. That is bush league.

  5. gVOR08 says:

    @michael reynolds: I sometimes watch Morning Joe. I often ask myself how someone as dumb as Scarborough can be as arrogant as Scarborough. Then I realize the question answers itself. Walker seems to be the same deal. Dunning-Kruger.

  6. Ron Beasley says:

    Walker has never been more than a sociopathic tool of the Koch brothers who will do and say anything to pander to the Republican base.

  7. Gustopher says:

    Let’s give the man the credit he deserves — he got the address of 10 Downing Street right.

    Also, perhaps he simply misinterpreted the PM’s private statement. Upon meeting Walker, and realizing that this man was a serious contender for the Republican nomination, the PM might have said that he had concerns about the direction of America’s future leadership.

  8. Facebones says:

    I would guess it’s Walker hearing what he wants to hear, or hearing things through his Fox News filter. I would have no trouble believing that Cameron made some passing remark about Obama not pushing on a certain issue to Cameron’s liking or that Cameron said he’d have no trouble working with whomever is elected next year – R or D, and Walker hearing that to mean that Cameron thinks Obama is a loser, lols.

  9. OzarkHillbilly says:

    Perhaps Walker was just hearing what he wanted to hear from the Prime Minister, or perhaps he just made it up because it fits in with standard Republican attitudes about the President.

    DING DING DING DING …. And the winner is…. HE JUST MADE IT UP! Just like every other Republican talking point:

    The Surge worked!
    Climate change is a hoax!
    Abortion is murder!
    Tax cuts create jobs!
    Obamacare is a disaster!
    Money is speech!
    Corporations are people!
    You built that!
    Voter fraud!

    ad nauseam…..

  10. Ben Wolf says:

    Doesn’t matter. Walker has a proven record of beating down Democrats and that’s why he’s popular with Republicans.

  11. ernieyeball says:

    @gVOR08:..so dumb and arrogant make for TV worth watching?
    I don’t get it.

  12. An Interested Party says:

    Walker has a proven record of beating down Democrats…

    Indeed–in Wisconsin…let’s see what happens if he goes up against the Clintons…