Conservative icon Sarah Palin endorses Donald Trump for president

Trump, Cruz, and fellow Senator Marco Rubio are the only candidates in double-digits ahead of the first in the nation Iowa caucuses at the beginning of February.

Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump said early Wednesday that Sarah Palin could play a role in his administration should he win the White House.

Ms Palin will appear alongside Mr Trump at a rally at Iowa State University. Cruz – now neck-in-neck with Trump in Iowa’s polls- could lose support from evangelical voters in the state who see Palin as a strong, Christian ally.

Trump introduced Palin as “Governor Sarah Palin” and described her as “a person whom I’ve known for a long time, who I’ve respected for so long, an incredible husband, an incredible family”. Sarah Palin announced she supports Trump for president just 13 days before the Iowa caucus begins. Supporting Trump represents a somewhat unexpected shift for Palin, who endorsed fellow Tea Party favorite Cruz during his 2012 U.S. Senate campaign.

Palin’s support should help Trump shore up his support from the conservative base as he works to fend off Sen.

“Regardless of what she does in 2016, I will always be a big fan”.

Palin was back – complete with her trademark cliches, rhymes and snarky jokes, laying out why she thinks Trump is the best hope for the country.

Palin’s remarks in Ames, Iowa, were signature Palin, combining the folksy charm and everywoman appeal that initially made her a GOP superstar with defiant taunting of a “busted” GOP establishment that she slammed for counting both Trump and herself out.

Palin and Trump have said kind words about each other during the campaign.

“No more pussy-footing around”, Palin said.

She also took aim at the Republican establishment for “attacking their own front-runner” and offered a challenge to those who have suggested that Trump, whose positions on issues like gun control and abortion rights have shifted over the years, isn’t conservative enough.

And some Republicans say the endorsement will end up being a black mark for Trump during his presidential run.

“No more pussyfootin’ around”, the ex-vice-presidential candidate told an Iowa rally.

SIEGEL: Cruz took another jab today from Iowa Governor Terry Branstad who criticized him for his opposition to ethanol – very big in Iowa, of course. “(He) hasn’t supported renewable fuels, and I think it would be a big mistake for Iowa to support him”. He even got the backing of John Wayne’s daughter.