Ames, Iowa (CNN)Sarah Palin is
back.
Donald Trump isn't one to share
the spotlight, but on Tuesday night, he made an exception for the former Alaska
governor and John McCain's 2008 vice presidential running mate.
Palin appeared alongside Trump at
a raucous campaign rally, following days of speculation about the identity of a
"special guest."
In front of thousands of Trump
fans, Palin handed Trump his most high-profile endorsement yet, just two weeks
out from the Iowa caucuses.
"Heads are spinnin'. Media
heads are spinning! This is going to be so much fun!" Palin yelled from
the stage. "Are you ready to make America great again?"
Palin's at times disjointed
20-minute speech was filled with Palinisms like "pussy-footin',"
"hallelujah" and "you betcha." With Trump looking on from
beside her, she hailed the real estate developer as a
"compassionate," "refreshing" and "self-made" man
who would bring the country back from President Barack Obama's disastrous
tenure.
"Looking around at all of
you, you hard working Iowa families, you farm families and teachers and
teamsters and cops and cooks, you rock and rollers and holy rollers!"
Palin said. "You all make the world go around and now our cause is
one."
Palin, who has spoken openly
since the 2008 campaign of her anger at the treatment she received from the
press and Republican Party leaders, appeared to recognize that Tuesday night
marked a moment of comeback.
"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'!"
Trump thanked Palin, calling her
a "special" and "amazing" person.
READ: What role would Palin want
in a Trump administration?
"This is a woman that, from
Day 1, I said, 'If I ever do this, I have to get her support,' " Trump
said.
Palin's surprise appearance added
an extra dose of energy to the crowd, many of whom waited hours outside in the
snow to see Trump in person.
Jim Handsaker, a farmer from
Story City, Iowa, said Trump should choose Palin as his running mate. He
complained that the former governor was ill-served by McCain and his campaign.
"We liked her last time. The
problem McCain had is that he didn't unleash her, let her do her thing. I think
that hurt him bad," Handsaker, said. "I'd like to see her as vice
president. Wouldn't you?"
Chris, a 53-year-old banker from
Boone, Iowa, who declined to share her last name, said Palin's endorsement
helps boost Trump's conservative credentials.
"She's a conservative and I
like knowing that she's speaking out on his behalf," she said.
Although Palin's national clout
has diminished since her last time on the presidential campaign trail, she
remains a popular political icon on the right and her support marks a significant
seal of approval as Trump seeks to woo conservative voters. Her backing is
particularly meaningful in Iowa, where Palin holds sway with Christian
conservatives -- a group Trump is competing for votes against Texas Sen. Ted
Cruz ahead of the February 1 caucus. Palin's endorsement does not come as a
total surprise. Trump's political director, Michael Glassner, was a senior aide
to Palin in the 2008 campaign. And Palin and Trump have previously exchanged
public praise.
Trump said over the summer that
he would "love" to have Palin serve in as a Cabinet member in his
administration.
"She really is somebody who
knows what's happening and she's a special person," Trump had said.
"She's really a special person and I think people know that."
But there had also been
speculation that Palin may endorse Cruz, whom she has also spoken highly of and
endorsed in his 2012 Senate bid.
In an interview with CNN's Jake
Tapper last month, the ex-governor said her two favorite candidates in the 2016
race were Trump and Cruz.
Tony Perkins, head of the Family
Research Council, said Tuesday that it was perhaps "natural" to see
Palin throw her support behind a candidate who -- previous to this White House
bid -- was best known for being a reality TV host.
"For a lot of reasons,
intentional or not, she has become more of a celebrity than a political
leader," Perkins said of Palin.
But he also acknowledged that in
a race that has become so competitive, every endorsement matters.
The Trump campaign "is
playing very serious ball here in Iowa and if this were isolated and one
endorsement, that's one thing," Perkins said. "But if you're
beginning to see a series of endorsements of people who have notoriety in the
political world ... it's a factor."
If there was palpable excitement
about Palin's endorsement among Trump fans on Tuesday, the news could irk some
leaders on the right who do not view Trump as conservative enough on social
issues like women's reproductive issues.
Marjorie Dannenfelser, president
of Susan B. Anthony List, told CNN on Tuesday that she had concerns about Trump
floating former Massachusetts Sen. Scott Brown as a potential vice presidential
pick.
"I would ask Sarah Palin to
take a look at who Trump has said he might have as his VP. Scott Brown is
absolutely unacceptable to the pro-life movement and should be unacceptable to
her," Dannenfelser said. "She should not endorse a candidate that
would entertain a pro-choice vice president. That's my view."
