Donald Trump may be springing a big endorsement at a rally in Iowa later today, and the endorser may come as a surprise. Speculation is growing around the Internet and media about the possibility that former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin may jump into the 2016 presidential race in the form of an endorsement… for Trump. Is it a good move for Trump? Is it a good move for Palin?
As noted on his Facebook page, Trump will be hosting a rally at the Iowa State University Hansen Agricultural Student Learning Center in Ames, Iowa. The doors open at 3pm CST, and the rally starts at 5pm. But the rally isn’t what’s generating the excitement; it’s the “very special guest” that’s being touted and the “major announcement” that’s being advertised.
The Washington Post (among others) thinks the “very special guest” could be Sarah Palin. As noted in a Post story published today, “Flight TWY123 left Anchorage at about noon Alaska time and landed in Des Moines at around 8 p.m. Central.”
Trump’s event is in Ames, about 45 minutes north of Des Moines, meaning that a flight in the day prior and a quick jaunt to the venue sounds about right. Palin and Trump have done a bit of a political minuet, so far, this year. The two appeared at an anti-Iran-deal rally at the Capitol (along with Ted Cruz and others). Trump suggested he might tap Palin for his Cabinet (she’d like energy secretary) and Palin interviewed him (sort of) for One America News.
The story goes into a number of pros and cons that a Palin endorsement could bring to Trump. On the “pro” side, the Post states that Palin and Trump have similar styles, that Palin is still popular with many Republicans, and that she could help bolster Trump among what the Post describes as the “far right.” On the “con” side, the Post wonders if a Palin endorsement will help much at all, and notes that “Republicans may like her more when she’s out of politics.”
One person who thinks a Palin endorsement of Trump would be a bad move is GOP presidential candidate Sen. Ted Cruz. As reported in The Washington Times, “A spokesman for Sen. Ted Cruz’s presidential campaign said Tuesday it would be a ‘blow’ to former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin if she endorsed businessman Donald Trump for president.”
“I think it [would] be a blow to Sarah Palin, because Sarah Palin has been a champion for the conservative cause, and if she was going to endorse Donald Trump, sadly, she would be endorsing someone who’s held progressive views all their life on the sanctity of life, on marriage, on partial-birth abortion,” Cruz campaign spokesman Rick Tyler said on CNN’s “New Day.”
So, what do you think? Would a Palin endorsement be a smart move for Trump? Would it help him? How about for Palin? Is it good for her to get back into presidential politics? Let us know. One thing is certain, Trump certainly keeps things interesting!
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