Could Scott Walker join the Trump Administration?
Governor Scott Walker's office said Monday they had no comment on the outgoing governor potentially filling the recently created vacancy for U.S. Secretary of Interior.
Walker flew to Washington D.C. Monday for the White House Christmas reception, according to his office. On Saturday, Walker was listed as one of eight potential candidates for the job by Bloomberg, but the day before, the governor said he was staying put.
"I've had many an opportunity to go to Washington over the past couple weeks," Walker told reporters Friday. "I am going to live here. My wife and family are going to live here. I want Wisconsin to do well."
President Trump announced Friday on Twitter that Secretary Ryan Zinke will soon step down from the position. Trump said the new secretary will be announced in the next week.
Former Wisconsin Gov. Tommy Thompson once said he was uninterested in taking the Secretary of Health and Human Services position, but ended up taking the job in the George Bush White House.
"Let's say President Trump says, I need you, the country needs you," UWM Professor Mordecai Lee said. "I am asking you to accept the appointment as fill in the blank. A lot of people walk out of the oval office and say, I can't say no to a president."
The Department of Interior deals with managing and conserving federal land and natural resources. Lee said oftentimes, people are chosen for cabinet positions because of their managerial skills.
"What Governor Walker would bring to the job in terms of qualifications are that he was the manager of Milwaukee County as the county exec, and then for eight years as the manager of the state executive branch."
Walker said last week that he will not be a lobbyist when he leaves the governor's office on Jan 7. He said he is interested in speaking, lecturing, and doing something in manufacturing.
"What I'm most specifically interested in is manufacturing," Walker said. "So I'd like to do things to help. I'd be interested in working with some small to mid sized manufacturers in the state to help them grow."
The White House did not respond to a request for comment by Monday night.