As rumors that Sarah Palin is preparing to endorse Donald Trump swirl, Ted Cruz took to Twitter to proclaim his love and admiration for the former Alaska governor and 2008 vice presidential nominee.
“Without her support, I wouldn’t be in the Senate,” Cruz wrote. “Regardless of what she does in 2016, I will always be a big fan.”
I love @SarahPalinUSA Without her support, I wouldn’t be in the Senate. Regardless of what she does in 2016, I will always be a big fan.
— Ted Cruz (@tedcruz) January 19, 2016
Cruz campaign spokesman reacted to the rumors linking Palin and Trump by saying the endorsement would be a blow to the former governor because the billionaire hasn’t been a conservative championed. This angered Palin’s daughter Bristol, who wrote that she hoped her mother did endorse Trump over Cruz. Sarah Palin tweeted out her daughter’s blog entry.
Sarah Palin endorsed Cruz in the Republican primary in Texas during his 2012 campaign. She remains an important Tea Party kingmaker. Cruz’s conciliatory tweet could be interpreted as a form of damage control.
Cruz and Trump are locked in a dead heat in Iowa, where evangelical and Tea Party voters have helped fuel the Texas senator’s rise. Both groups may be influenced by a Palin endorsement. Cruz and Trump are first and second in the Washington Examiner‘s presidential power rankings, respectively.
