Former Governor Scott Walker Returns to Campus
The former governor defended free trade and fiscal responsibility
Former Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker spoke to UW-Madison students in an event hosted by Young Americans for Freedom and the Center for Research on the Wisconsin Economy on Monday.
Walker served as Governor from 2011 until 2019 and has since taken the mantle of president of Young America’s Foundation, the parent organization of Young Americans for Freedom.
YAF describes itself as “the leading organization for young conservatives,” with a presence on over 2,000 campuses and a mission to support students and promote conservative ideas. Former Governor Walker did just that - delivering a speech focused on trade policy, wrapped in a broader message of free markets and limited government.
Walker said that President Donald Trump’s “Liberation Day” tariffs will not be “the permanent policy of the United States” and asserted that they are a negotiation tactic taken straight from the pages of Trump’s book The Art of the Deal. The former governor emphasized his support for free trade and suggested that President Trump, despite appearances, “is a free trader” as well.
Walker acknowledged that some in the White House were committed protectionists, but downplayed their overall influence on trade policy.
While “tariffs are not a long-term solution,” Walker argued that “there's probably some merit, at least, in what the president and some of his allies are trying to do.”
Protectionism in the short term “can end up being a good thing as long as we eventually get the free trade–because again, then Americans can compete.”
Walker argued that President Trump is employing reciprocal tariffs as a strategic tool to compel other countries to lower their trade barriers with the United States, citing Canada’s dairy tariffs as a prime example.
As one FactCheck article by Ben Cohen explains, Canada imposes tariffs exceeding 240% on certain dairy products once import quotas are surpassed. By implementing reciprocal tariffs, Walker suggested the U.S. aims to pressure Canada into reducing such barriers. This would ultimately promote freer trade and allow Wisconsin dairy farmers, and more broadly American farmers, to compete more effectively in the global market.
"The beautiful thing about free trade is, if it's fair, if it's relatively flat, if it's level, there are going to be some places in the world that do things uniquely better than we do. [...] It really encourages us to go out and be productive.”
Walker addressed several other topics during his speech, such as the need to extend Trump’s 2017 tax cuts, return education to states, and reduce government spending. He also defended Act 10, arguably his most notable legislative accomplishment as governor.
Walker’s visit to campus came less than a week after conservative candidates for state supreme court and superintendent suffered blowout defeats in a closely-watched election.
An audience member asked him what the Republican Party needs to do to prevent another lackluster election day in 2026, when a gubernatorial election is set to occur.
Walker said, “Wisconsin is the ultimate swing state in America. It has been for the last 25 years.”
He argued that Republicans need to work harder to appeal to the “small sliver of swing, persuadable, undecided voters that tend to go back and forth.”
His advice to potential candidates was that, “Elections are always about the future. Don’t get caught up in the past. They’re always about the future.”
Walker said he had no plans to run for governor in 2026 but did not rule out future runs for public office.
The event had more than 100 attendees, including some members of the public. While protests were anticipated, the event went smoothly, except for a single heckler who was removed after he interrupted Walker.
Leading up to the lecture, some Reddit users expressed a desire to organize a counterprotest or attempt to get the event canceled altogether. Fliers placed by YAF members were defaced–one featured a swastika drawn on Walker’s forehead, while others in the law school had devil horns sketched over his image.
Many additional posters were torn down entirely. It was, ironically, a vivid display of just how much “free speech” is tolerated on campus–and a stark reminder of the hostility many conservative or even center-right students feel when considering whether to voice their political views to their classmates.
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