Top 5 Influential People Who Gave Us Donald Trump

4. Governor Sarah Palin

In January 2016, Trump pulled out “the big guns” in terms of Tea Party firepower, as he was able to secure the endorsement of former Governor of Alaska, former Vice Presidential candidate, and Tea Party darling Sarah Palin.

While Palin has faced criticism in the past from those on the left and right alike, she was able to take her starpower and conservative “bona fides” and become the de facto face of the Tea Party movement. After her 2008 run as the conservative balance to GOP presidential candidate John McCain’s neocon leanings, Palin instantly became a right-wing celebrity. An endorsement from Palin was considered a stamp of approval for those on the right, and though her celebrity faded in recent years, those close to the core of the Tea Party movement still held a special place for her in their hearts.

Fast forward to the first month of 2016, and Palin was again in the news, this time for her endorsement of Trump, despite there being other (actual) Tea Party conservatives still in the race, such as Ted Cruz, Marco Rubio, and Rand Paul. Palin’s endorsement, though bizarre, affirmed the “build-a-wall” Tea Party’s belief that Trump was their man, and solidified the conservative base for Trump from that point forward.

For some wildly entertaining and uncomfortable viewing pleasure, watch Palin’s endorsement of Trump here: