Earlier this month, Rep. Mark Pocan, D-Wisc., claimed he heard a rumor (or perhaps more precisely, “tried to start a rumor“) that former Republican presidential nominee and Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker wanted to be secretary of labor if Trump’s nominee, Andrew Puzder, dropped out.
Walker previously said he did not want to be in the Cabinet. And immediately after Pocan’s remarks were published, he shot the rumor down, citing the experience of one of his predecessors, Wisconsin Gov. Tommy Thompson:
“Tommy Thompson told me his worst day as governor was still better than his best day in the cabinet,” Walker said, recalling advice from the former Wisconsin governor and George W. Bush cabinet secretary. “So I’m not going to be in the cabinet. I’m not running for U.S. Senate. If I’m running for anything in 2018 going forward, I’ll plan on running for reelection going forward, but I’ll let you know that after the budget comes out.”
Today, Puzder actually has dropped out, and Walker’s spokesman has made clear for the third time that he wasn’t joking.
Walker campaign spokesman Joe Fadness says “there has been no offer and Governor Walker has no interest in a Cabinet position.” Fadness says Walker “loves being governor” and has “absolutely no interest” in the Cabinet.
So no, it’s not happening, and Trump is going to have to look elsewhere. Given Puzder’s problems in clearing the Office of Government Ethics, and the need to get this nomination through quickly, he should probably look to someone with Walker’s profile — someone with modest wealth and a simple investment portfolio who can move through the process quickly.
