Breitbart News caught up with Republican congressional candidate Derrick Van Orden as thousands of Wisconsinites converged on the capitol lawn in Madison on Friday to demand their state reopen.

“There comes a time in the course of events of man when you need to stand up for your rights,” Van Orden said.

He argued that “responsible” citizens should listen to their elected officials, but not when “they exceed their powers of government.”

Van Orden said it’s up to Americans to fight to protect their rights.

“We didn’t come from meek, timid men and women. Bold men and women started this country, and it’s time to stand up again,” he told Breitbart News.

Van Orden is a retired Navy SEAL with five combat deployments, according to his campaign website.

He is author of the book, A Book of Man: A Navy SEAL’s Guide to the Lost Art of Manhood and has appeared in three movies, Act of Valor (2012), Azadah (2015), and Surviving the Wild (2018).

Wisconsin’s third district is primarily rural and iconsists of 18 counties.

Van Orden said the shutdown is having a “terrible impact” on his community.

“We’re an ag district,” he said. “All the small businesses are hurting bad,” he added, and explained the dairy farmers are being forced to dump milk into fields because demand is down due to restaurants and schools being closed.

“You can’t put a non-milking order on a cow,” he said. “They’re just milking cows and dumping. It’s horrible.”

Van Orden said he decided to run for Congress after he “found out who Ron Kind was,” referring to the 22-year Democrat incumbent.

“It’s like 95 percent of the time on average he voted with Nancy Pelosi, Adam Schiff, Jerry Nadler, and the Squad,” he said.

“He’s able to convince people he’s a moderate and he’s just not.”

Van Orden’s website said the final straw was Kind’s vote to impeach President Trump.

Wisconsin’s Third District is on a so-called “Dirty 30” list — 31 districts held by Democrats that Trump won in 2016.

Van Orden said he’s going to win.

“I’m going to kick this guy out of office,” he said. “It’s just time for him to go.”

The National Republican Congressional Committee announced on Monday that Van Orden is “On the Radar” for its Young Guns program, which he called a “tremendous compliment.”

Kyle Olson is a reporter for Breitbart News. Follow him on Twitter and like him on Facebook.