Former US President Donald Trump said Sunday in a statement that he is throwing his support behind Sarah Palin in her bid for Alaska’s US House seat.
The endorsement comes after reports surfaced last week that the former running mate in John McCain’s 2008 presidential campaign had spoken with Mr Trump ahead of her throwing her name in the race for the Alaska seat.
“Wonderful patriot Sarah Palin of Alaska just announced that she is running for Congress, and that means there will be a true America First fighter on the ballot,” Mr Trump said in a statement released on Sunday. “Sarah shocked many when she endorsed me very early in 2016, and we won big. Now, it’s my turn!”
Mr Trump also couldn’t resist the opportunity to attack Mr McCain.
“Sarah lifted the McCain presidential campaign out of the dumps despite the fact that she had to endure some very evil, stupid, and jealous people within the campaign itself. They were out to destroy her, but she didn’t let that happen.
“Sarah Palin is tough and smart and will never back down”.
Mr Trump has been criticised over his continual attacks on McCain, both before and after his death.
While on the campaign trail in the summer of 2015, Mr Trump controversially belittled the Arizona senator’s reputation as a prisoner of war, saying: “he’s a war hero because he was captured ... I like people that weren’t captured”.
While fighting in Vietnam as a solider, Mr McCain was tortured and held prisoner for more than five years after he was captured when his plane was shot down.
Posthumously, Mr Trump hasn’t been much kinder with his words.
In March 2019, less than a year after the senator died from complications related to his brain cancer diagnosis, he was tweeting about a “stain” on the Republican politician’s record.
“Spreading the fake and totally discredited Dossier ‘is unfortunately a very dark stain against John McCain,’” Mr Trump tweeted.
The former Alaska governor joins a crowded field of more than 40 candidates seeking to fill the job left vacant since the death of Republican Rep Don Young, who passed away last month after holding the position for nearly 50 years.
Ms Palin famously was one of the first conservative figures within the GOP to publicly support the one-term president, and was nearly awarded for her loyalty when the Trump transition team floated her name for positions within the cabinet, with rumours initially speculating that she was under consideration for heading up Secretary of Veteran Affairs.
Among the qualifications that Mr Trump considered worth noting in his endorsement of the former governor, included what he described as Ms Palin’s “championing” of “Alaska values, Alaska energy, Alaska jobs and the great people of Alaska.
He also highlighted what he saw as a noteworthy record of standing up to “corruption in both State Government and the Fake News Media”.
“Sarah Palin is tough and smart and will never back down, and I am proud to give her my Complete and Total Endorsement, and encourage all Republicans to unite behind this wonderful person and her campaign to put America First!,” Mr Trump said.
For her part, Ms Palin said ahead of the Friday deadline to file for the 11 June special primary that she would be “honoured to represent the men and women of Alaska in Congress”.
“I realise that I have very big shoes to fill, and I plan to honor Rep. Young’s legacy by offering myself up in the name of service to the state he loved and fought for, because I share that passion for Alaska and the United States of America,” she said in a statement.
After the primary, the top four candidates from that will go on to take part in a special election, which will be held on 16 August with the winner being selected by ranked-choice voting.
