The Washington Free Beacon’s Liz Harrington appeared on Fox News on Wednesday to discuss Sarah Palin’s endorsement of Donald Trump, the Republican frontrunner's latest strategic stunt to take down Ted Cruz.
Harrington said that Palin’s endorsement of Trump was a tough blow to Cruz, since Palin campaigned for Cruz’s Senate campaign.
"The Palin endorsement … was really seen by many as a betrayal since she campaigned so hard for him when he ran in the senate," Harrington said.
Palin has also praised Trump as an anti-establishment candidate, a label that Cruz prizes.
"And you had Sarah Palin yesterday on stage praising Trump for … ramming the establishment, while … Trump [was] just the same day … criticizing Cruz for going after Mitch McConnell in the Senate," Harrington said. "It’s Cruz that's really ... anti-establishment, that's ... roughed things up in the Senate for the establishment figures."
Harrington said that Palin’s endorsement of Trump was a blow to Cruz because of her status as a Tea Party favorite, like Cruz himself.
"Trump embrac[es] these positions that aren't conservative, and wouldn't really seem like issues that the Tea Party would embrace. Not touching Social Security for instance, the ethanol subsidies. I don't believe they would support that. But that doesn't matter," Harrington said.
Because Trump and Palin care for "style over … substance," Harrington said, the ideological differences between the two are not irreconcilable.
"Palin, she's a showman. Trump's a showman. They’re trying to get back in the spotlight, and it's really this bigger idea of, you know, he's a strong leader and he’s going to change and rough up the status quo," Harrington said.