Interview: Sarah Palin publicly pitching to Trump

George Ajjan, an international political strategist, told Newsweek that while Palin's 2008 run may have opened the doors for Trump, her recent failed congressional runs likely don't place the former Alaska governor high on Trump's list of running mate picks. "Sarah Palin's Tea Party brand of Republican populism paved the way for Trump. So it might seem ironic that she never figured heavily in his entourage, until you consider that he may have felt threatened by her folksy charm," Ajjan said. He continued, "In any case, a state governor who left her post 14 years ago and recently twice failed to win a congressional seat hardly seems to have the makings of a vice presidential running mate. The GOP moved on from her long ago, and is currently moving on from Trump."