Sen. John McCain — whose GOP presidential candidacy in 2008 put vice-presidential running mate Sarah Palin on the national political map — isn't rushing to join her in endorsing 2016 White House contender Donald Trump.
A day after tea party and conservative favorite Palin threw her support behind the front-running GOP presidential contender, the Arizona lawmaker says it's too early to take sides,
NBC News reports.
"Senator McCain has great respect and appreciation for Governor Palin," an unnamed aide tells NBC News. "As he has said since [South Carolina] Senator [Lindsey] Graham exited the race, he will not be taking sides and endorsing a primary candidate at this point in the race."
Palin campaigned for McCain's 2010 Senate re-election, and has
defended him against conservative attacks.
NBC News notes Palin's choice of endorsement for Trump over Texas Sen. Ted Cruz may be because of the
public acrimony between Cruz and McCain — and that she wouldn't want a Cruz endorsement to be perceived as a slap at McCain.
Palin diplomatically sidestepped
Trump's harsh blast at McCain last year, when the real estate billionaire said the former
POW wasn't a war hero.
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