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Walker: Protesters prepared him to confront global terrorism

Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker runs onstage to address the  Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) in National Harbor, Md., Thursday, Feb. 26, 2015. (AP Photo/Cliff Owen)
Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker runs onstage to address the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) in National Harbor, Md., Thursday, Feb. 26, 2015. (AP Photo/Cliff Owen) Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker runs onstage to address the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) in National Harbor, Md., Thursday, Feb. 26, 2015. (AP Photo/Cliff Owen)

OXON HILL, Md. (AP) – Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker said Thursday that his experience taking on thousands of protesters in his state helped prepare him to take on terrorists across the world.

The likely Republican presidential contender’s comments came on the first day of the Conservative Political Action Conference – known as CPAC. The annual conference in suburban Washington features more than a dozen potential Republican presidential contenders over three days hoping to win over conservative activists.

Asked how he would handle the Islamic State group if elected president, Walker said, “For years I’ve been concerned about that threat, not just abroad but here on American soil.”

“If I can take on 100,000 protesters, I can do the same across the world,” he said.

Walker is gearing up for a 2016 presidential contest in which foreign policy figures to play prominently.