On Tuesday, Donald Trump received his most high-profile endorsement yet, from none other than 2008 Vice Presidential candidate Sarah Palin, according to the New York Times. Palin joined Trump on-stage at Iowa State University and riled up the crowd that had gathered in anticipation of a “special visitor”.
“Heads are spinnin’. Media heads are spinning! This is going to be so much fun!” Palin said in her speech. “Are you ready to make America great again?”
Palin’s support comes at a crucial time for the Republican nominees, and her high-profile status as a celebrity and past Vice Presidential candidate has caused speculation that this could give Trump the edge to beat out his Republican rivals, particularly Ted Cruz.
In the past, Sarah Palin has won over Iowa constituents, particularly working to gain Republican donors and evangelicals. A Gallup poll in 2013 showed that 61 percent of Republicans viewed Palin favorably, which translates into enough Iowa votes to turn the tides for Trump. Palin is also well-known for attracting media attention (and parodies) for her flashy Palin-isms and past political involvement. Is this the kind of publicity that Trump is looking for?
On Tuesday night, Palin also brought back her complaints about the way she was treated during the 2008 election by Republican party leaders. “I was told, ‘You’re going to get so clobbered in the press, you are just gonna get beat up, chewed up and spit out.’ And I’m thinking—and?” she said. “Like you guys haven’t tried to do that everyday since that night in ’08 when I was on stage nominated for VP and I got to say, ‘Yeah, I’ll go, send me, you betcha, I’ll serve!’ And like you all, I’m still standin’!”
Her words hint that Palin is hoping for a bit of a comeback. Perhaps she believes that she has a future in Trump’s administration? In fact, Trump has declared over the summer he would “love” working with Palin, according to CNN. “She’s really a special person and I think people know that,” Trump said about the former Alaska governor.
Right now, the media is indeed spinning with the news of a partnership between these two Republican powerhouses. Will this development give Trump an edge for the approaching Iowa caucuses? Fingers crossed for ‘no’.