Former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin says she respects real estate mogul Donald Trump and he is getting a raw deal from the media who question his interest in President Barack Obama’s place of birth. Palin also told Fox News’ Sean Hannity Tuesday it is still too early for her to decide whether to seek the GOP nomination in 2012 — adding she might not take the conventional exploratory-committee route if she does.
“Well, first, I do have respect for Donald Trump and for his candidness — I think people are craving that today, in the world of political speak . . . coming out of the White House,” Palin said. “And the confusing messages that come from so many of our politicos — we appreciate that Donald Trump is so candid.
“Donald Trump is the one being really treated unfairly — I would say though, in the press —when they are hammering him about the one issue that he has brought up and not been shy about, and that’s the birth certificate,” she continued. “He’s merely answering reporters’ questions about his view on the birth certificate — and then reporters turn that around and [say]: ‘That’s all he’s got — he’s always running on a birth certificate issue,’ when that’s not the case.
“Bottom line [is] that President Obama is so far over his head — he has gotten us on the road to bankruptcy, and insolvency, and a less secure nation,” Palin said. “And Trump, and so many of us, want to do something about that.”
Palin noted candidates have control of their messages and “you don't have to give the time of day to those who are so obviously biased.”
“I was thinking back on some of those interviews that Obama had given back when he was a candidate,” she said. “The inconsistencies that he spewed back then, and reporters didn’t follow up. Certainly now — he as our president — he needs to be asked these tough questions.”
Hannity asked Palin whether she thought the GOP has been capitulating on issues regarding cuts in government spending.
“I say — with all due respect to those Republicans — they got elected with that promise . . . they would rein in government growth on the overreach, and the over borrowing, and the over spending that President Obama has so embraced,” Palin replied. “We can’t just — we can’t afford to have any of the GOP in there — or the Blue Dogs Democrats, the Reagan Democrats — be a part of Obama’s very radical agenda, which as I say is putting us on the road to bankruptcy.
“We are flat broke — it makes absolutely no sense to capitulate, and say: OK, we'll throw in cowboy poetry, and pretty monuments, and more museums, and maybe some road projects that we don’t need,” she said.
“Tea party Americans are the ones who led that mandate, where, no, things were not going to be done the same way as they have been done in the past,” she added. “And, now, we enter a new ring, Sean, and in that new ring comes the fight for the debt ceiling — and there needs to be an understanding in the GOP leadership that we cannot provide another tool for the liberals to just incur more debt — and that’s what raising the debt ceiling is going to allow, again.”
Hannity then asked where Palin was in her consideration of a 2012 run, noting that other candidates have already formed exploratory committees.
“Well, I think it is still too early to declare candidacy — I think it is too early for anyone,” Palin said, adding that an exploratory committee is “not on the radar.” “I've never really run for anything conventionally — I’ve just jumped in there and done it when I’ve known it’s the right thing to do — so it’s going to be an unconventional run if I choose to do that.
“Right now my concentration is on getting that message out to the GOP leadership and to the other side —those who are reasonable and will listen — that we cannot keep going down the path that we are on,” she continued. “I'm so encouraged though by the tea party Americans.”
Palin then returned to talking about Trump, a possible opponent for the 2012 GOP nomination.
“Look where he was last weekend — he was speaking at a tea party meeting,” she said. “That shows you that tea party Americans are influential, that they are big tent, and that they are independent. They want to hear from Trump.
“They want to hear from all who have common sense, pro-private sector, pro-business ideas — and the tea party movement is going to grow and strengthen and — go ahead.”
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