Former Republican President Donald Trump gave former Alaska Republican Governor Sarah Palin his official endorsement in her bid for Congress, saying he supports her.
Why?
Simply because she backed his run for President in 2016.
Trump said Palin—who rose to prominence after the GOP chose her as running mate for the late Arizona Republican Senator John McCain in the 2008 election—"shocked many when she endorsed me very early in 2016, and we won big."
"Now it's my turn!" he declared, adding that Palin "has been a champion for Alaska values, Alaska energy, Alaska jobs, and the great people of Alaska."
Trump did not mention the late McCain, who was a bitter political rival, though he called Palin an "America First fighter" and said she "lifted the McCain presidential campaign out of the dumps." He did claim the campaign hosted "some very evil, stupid and jealous people" who were "out to destroy her."
You can read Trump's complete statement below.
Trump endorses Sarah Palin tonight, and takes a shot at John McCain and his campaign team.pic.twitter.com/iV94Ik34c8— Ron Filipkowski \ud83c\uddfa\ud83c\udde6 (@Ron Filipkowski \ud83c\uddfa\ud83c\udde6) 1649034338
Palin seeks to win the seat previously held by Representative Don Young, who held the seat for almost 50 years before he died last month.
Trump's endorsement–given for the most Trumpian of reasons–exposed both him and Palin to significant criticism.
Trump has officially endorsed Sarah Palin, which means she also hangs out with losers.— Avenger Resister (@Avenger Resister) 1649039176
#Trump is doing his best to be pathetic once again & so is #SarahPalin\n\nI didn\u2019t realize how much influence #JohnMcCain had until he was gone\n\nThe #GOP is nothing more than a bunch of belligerent children who are chasing the most obnoxious meme/post of the day \u2026 Pathetic!!https://twitter.com/ronfilipkowski/status/1510785634335604737\u00a0\u2026— Foxman (Brian Fox) (@Foxman (Brian Fox)) 1649053101
I wish this were an April Fools joke but no, Sarah Palin is *actually* running for Congress from Alaska\n\nThere is a causal line between her clownish, anti-intellectual behavior and the obscenities of Trump\n\nLast thing we need is another idiotic buffoon in the US Congress— Lindy Li (@Lindy Li) 1648859187
Surprise- Trump endorses Sarah Palin. Calls her \u201ctough and smart\u201d. Smart? Ask her what newspapers she reads.pic.twitter.com/pGfJG1Xpf7— Mike Sington (@Mike Sington) 1649063956
BREAKING: Donald Trump just endorsed Sarah Palin for Congress.\n\nBirds of a feather flock together.— Republicans against Trumpism (@Republicans against Trumpism) 1649034846
Imagine time traveling back 10 years and explaining that Trump is endorsing Sarah Palin, not because she is running for president, but because he is the former one— Emily Brooks (@Emily Brooks) 1649036616
Well, that's good enough for me. If tfg says palin is good, she must not be good at all! We should all say good-bye.https://twitter.com/RonFilipkowski/status/1510785634335604737\u00a0\u2026— Ess Creek\ud83c\udf3b\ud83c\udf3b (@Ess Creek\ud83c\udf3b\ud83c\udf3b) 1649039367
So much BS in one paragraph.https://twitter.com/ronfilipkowski/status/1510785634335604737\u00a0\u2026— vjphoto (@vjphoto) 1649037841
He failed to mention her quitting her job as Governor.https://twitter.com/RonFilipkowski/status/1510785634335604737\u00a0\u2026— Navy_Man (@Navy_Man) 1649036434
Last month, Palin hinted she would run for Congress to fight "namby pamby wussy p*ssy stuff," a turn of phrase that earned her widespread ridicule.
Palin did not elaborate on what she meant by "namby pamby wussy p*ssy stuff" but her remarks appeared to be a slight against Democrats, whom Republicans have often accused of spending more time focusing on identity politics than on matters regarding the economy or immigration, particularly at the nation's southern frontier.
Palin has been said to have paved the way for Trump's candidacy because she, relatively unknown outside of Alaska until McCain plucked her from obscurity, embraced the reactionary politics that gave rise to the Tea Party movement, a conservative populist social and political movement that called for lower taxes and for a reduction of the national debt and federal budget deficit.
The Tea Party has been credited with fracturing the Republican Party as a whole, particularly as the movement largely abandoned matters of economic policy and came to be defined by bigotry, such as the belief in "birtherism," which doubts or denies that former President Barack Obama is a natural-born U.S. citizen, thus implying that he is ineligible to be President, and which Trump himself endorsed.
