Walker Rails Against Media After Reporter Questions Religious Freedom Quote

Gov. Scott Walker left out Muslims when listing off religious groups that deserve the freedom to worship Monday. Afterward, when a reporter pointed out the omission, Walker criticized the news media, and said he didn’t specifically mean to “single one (group) or the other out.”

Walker’s initial remarks came when he was participating in a Hanukkah celebration at the Milwaukee Jewish Federation. During the ceremony, he said he believes in religious freedom. He said that “whether someone is Jewish, or Christian, or Hindu, or Buddhist, or whatever it might be, that particularly here in America, we recognize that that’s one of the great tenets.”

A reporter later asked Walker why he left Muslims off his list.

“Pointing that out is typical of the media,” said Walker. “Somebody asked me the other day, what did I find out about the media? It’s like, what did I leave out? I just rattled off a bunch. You could mention three or four other religions. I didn’t specifically single one or the other out.”

During his presidential campaign, Walker drew criticism for saying there is a “handful of reasonable and moderate followers of Islam.”