Walker opened his remarks at the Conservative Political Action Conference by acknowledging that some in the audience might be upset about what’s happening in the presidential election.

“No matter what’s happening there, the conservative movement is alive and well in states all across America,” Walker said.

Walker did not mention Donald Trump during his speech. But his comments come as top conservatives wrestle with how to approach the GOP front-runner as some Republicans have vowed they would not support him should the billionaire become the party nominee.

That has prompted concerns among some Republicans that a Trump candidacy could damage the GOP down ballot, either because his controversial remarks turn off moderates or because traditional voters from the party stay home.

House Speaker Paul Ryan, R-Janesville, also addressed the group at its convention outside of Washington, D.C.

Ryan, who did a Q&A while on the stage, continued to call for changes to how the federal government approaches poverty. That, he said, includes getting the government out of the way so the poor can break the cycle of poverty. For example, he said, the effective tax rate is not paid by the wealthy, but a single mom with two kids making "20-something thousand" will lose 80 cents on the dollar if she gets a raise. 

Policies should be reconfigured to encourage work, not so the government is paying people not to work, he said.

"We need to make it so work always pays," Ryan said.