Governor Scott Walker: I don't know if President Obama is a Christian

The Wisconsin governor reportedly refused to answer journalists' questions as a matter of principle

Scott Walker (Getty)

A prospective Republican presidential candidate has attempted to fend off questions over President Barack Obama’s faith saying he did not know whether or not he was a Christian.

Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker reportedly said “I don’t know” when asked by journalists if President Obama was a Christian.

His remarks were made during the winter meeting of the National Governers Association at the at the JW Marriott hotel in Washington, according to the Washington Post.

“I’ve actually never talked about [Mr Obama’s faith] or I haven’t read about that,” Walker is reported to have said.

“I’ve never asked him [about religion]. You’ve asked me to make statements about people that I haven’t had a conversation with about that. How [could] I say if I know either of you are a Christian?”

Governor Walker apparently challenged reporters over their line of questioning, reportedly suggesting that such questions were reflective of a broader problem. “To me, this is a classic example of why people hate Washington and, increasingly, they dislike the press,” he said.

“The things they care about don’t even remotely come close to what you’re asking about.”

He reportedly told press that he didn’t believe “most Americans care about such matters” and that suggested the journalists visit Wisconsin where he suggests “you could ask 100 people [about religion] and not one of them would say this is a significant issue”.

Governor Walker’s spokeswoman Jocelyn Webster subsequently phoned The Washington Post to make it clear that her client was not trying to cast doubt on the President’s faith but was simply trying to make a point of principle by not answering such questions with speculation.

This week the governor has been asked repeatedly by journalists if he agreed with remarks made by New York mayor Rudolph W. Giuliani in which he expressed doubt over whether President Obama loved his country, at a private dinner last Wednesday at which Walker was also in attendance.