Campaigning in New Hampshire, where he finds himself tied in the polls with also-rans Carly Fiorina and Mike Huckabee, Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker (R) labeled questions as to whether he would meet with Black Lives Matter activists as "ridiculous," reports the Daily Mail.
With his campaign also floundering in neighboring Iowa, where he once polled in the double figures, Walker has become more aggressive as of late, echoing many of the same talking points that have boosted blustery businessman Donald Trump to the lead for the 2016 GOP presidential nomination.
Asked at a 'Politics and Eggs' breakfast forum in Manchester on Friday if he would take some time to sit down with the African-American activists, Walker called the question "ridiculous."
"I'm going to meet with voters. I mean, I've said, it's not just – who knows who that is?" the flustered Walker replied before comparing the grassroots civil rights organization to the Tea Party.
"I'm going to talk with American voters. Period. It's the same way as saying you're going to meet with the Tea Party," he continued. "Who's the Tea Party? There's hundreds of thousands of people out there."
"I'm here to talk to voters in New Hampshire about things that matter," Walker told the Daily Mail reporter.
While Black Lives Matter activists have made inroads by meeting with 2016 Democratic presidential candidates, there has been little outreach from GOP campaigns to the black community. Trump threatened to have protesters “beat up,” and now Walker is dismissing them outright.
During a recent appearance at the Iowa State Fair, Walker ignored questions and comments from Black Lives Matter protesters who were bussed in for his political event.
According to Wisconsin constituent and BLM activist Ciara Fox of Milwaukee, Walker refused to take even one question from a black member of the audience.
While speaking in Iowa, Walker used his unwillingness to meet with concerned but opposing groups as a badge of courage.
"You want someone who’s tested? I’m right here. You can see it. This is what happened in Wisconsin. We will not back down!" he told the crowd.
Listen to audio, published by the Daily Mail, below:
