As Trump administration 2.0 takes shape, one name is missing from the laundry list of MAGA minions who clung to president-elect Donald Trump since his election loss in 2020. And it seems to be generating some hurt feelings.
Former Republican Governor of Alaska and failed GOP vice presidential and congressional candidate Sarah Palin took to Instagram stories to vent. She posted a collage of images with Andrew Breitbart and tagged him, calling on people to remember the history of MAGA—or at least her version.
You can see Palin's post here:
@sarahpalin97/Instagram
She also posted a series of screengrabs from a social media account run by "Mr. L" who asked why her name wasn't announced for a seat in Trump's cabinet.
Mr. L posted on Instagram—with a screenshot of his post on X featuring Steve Bannon:
"Currently, President elect Trump has named his secretaries for the VA, Energy, Interior and EPA administrator. Any one of these positions I hoped Sarah Palin would get."
"I was watching the War Room Friday morning edition."
"Steve Bannon was reflecting on 16 years ago, Andrew Breitbart, The Tea Party, and he talked about how he, his guest host, and Palin's former assistant, Rebecca Mansour, gathered in Chicago with others who thought Palin should be the president."
Mr. L added:
"He went on to say how Palin was Trump before Trump."
"I have been saying this for years. Sarah Palin is the Mother of MAGA."
"Back then, she was the face of the tea party, what would then become the MAGA movement. Andrew Breitbart and his website was the force of it."
"So, it is so shocking to me how in 2017, and now it looks like in 2025, she will not get a seat at the table that she helped set."
@mrltavern/Instagram
@robertstephenbrowning/Threads
In response to his endorsement and an apparent DM, Palin shared a triptych of images on her Instagram stories, tagging both Mr. L and Steve Bannon's War Room podcast—similar to how she had in her Breitbart posts.
To the message asking "What about you!" for Trump's cabinet, Palin issued a "Thank you!" and in the final image, she simply whines "funny how politics work."
You can see all three here.
@sarahpalin97/Instagram
Palin also took her message to Elon Musk's X.
Several media outlets characterized the post as a sign of Palin turning on Trump.
But others found it less like anger and more like a desperate cry for attention from a movement that left her behind.
rPolitics/Reddit
rPolitics/Reddit
rPolitics/Reddit
rPolitics/Reddit
rPolitics/Reddit
@rayrayi9/Threads
rPolitics/Reddit
rPolitics/Reddit
rPolitics/Reddit
rPolitics/Reddit
rPolitics/Reddit
rPolitics/Reddit
rPolitics/Reddit
rPolitics/Reddit
rPolitics/Reddit
Mr. L is hardly the voice of the masses, though.
His Instagram boasts only 59 followers—even after Palin amplified his message and tagged his account. Which could explain why Palin isn't getting a nomination for Trump's cabinet.
Popularity—including crowd size—has always been of utmost importance to Donald Trump.
If this is the only backing Palin could find online, it looks like MAGA just isn't that into her.
@Number10cat; @grok reply to @elonmusk/X
@Manifesttext reply to @elonmusk/X
@YourAnonNews reply to @elonmusk/X
@entertainmentweekly/Instagram
@entertainmentweekly/Instagram
@entertainmentweekly/Instagram
@entertainmentweekly/Instagram
@entertainmentweekly/Instagram
@entertainmentweekly/Instagram
@entertainmentweekly/Instagram
@entertainmentweekly/Instagram
@entertainmentweekly/Instagram
@entertainmentweekly/Instagram
@entertainmentweekly/Instagram
