2008 Republican vice presidential nominee Sarah Palin has had an interesting career since the late Arizona Republican Senator John McCain's presidential campaign thrust her into the national spotlight.
The former Governor of Alaska was one of President Donald Trump's earliest endorsers and went viral last year for a bizarre appearance as the Bear in reality television's The Masked Singer.
Those who worked for her during McCain's campaign have also seen an unforeseeable evolution.
Steve Schmidt, a senior campaign strategist for McCain, played a crucial role in selecting Palin as the running mate and worked closely with her on media presentation and overall messaging.
Schmidt has since denounced his former Republican party and gone on to help found the Lincoln Project, a political action committee of anti-Trump Republicans.
Nicolle Wallace, another McCain campaign official who worked closely with Palin, has gone on to denounce Trump and doesn't mince words in criticizing him on her MSNBC show, Deadline.
Palin addressed their criticism in a recent interview with far-right Fox News host Tucker Carlson.
Watch below.
Tucker Carlson gives Sarah Palin an opportunity to lash out at Steve Schmidt and Nicolle Wallace. She says there was a lot of sabotage going on there. pic.twitter.com/Mw6QCmX3uH
— Acyn Torabi (@Acyn) August 20, 2020
Palin said:
"[Schmidt]'s a piece of work. So is Nicolle Wallace and these other yahoos who were actually running the McCain/Palin campaign...A couple of them didn't even vote for the ticket. They jumped ship early in terms of their actual enthusiasm for Republicans being elected that year in '08...To think that they were the ones rolling out, for instance, my candidacy and setting up the interviews—there was a lot of sabotage going on there."
She went on to call them "wolves in sheep's clothing."
Trump soon echoed Palin's message, reviving some of his criticisms of Senator McCain.
Sarah is correct. McCain was a lousy candidate with lots of bad policy, but the “deadheads" sabotaged his campaign from the inside, and never gave him a chance to win. Hope they were happy with OBiden, who gave you me! https://t.co/rynLuGRKHA
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) August 20, 2020
It wasn't long before Schmidt responded.
Ok. I can't help it. It has been 12 years since @NicolleDWallace and I had to deal with her paranoia, pathological lying, profound ignorance, brittleness and insanity. We had to deal with her for 70 days. It has been amazing to watch her soar and prove all her critics wrong https://t.co/hUZMrmBbQf
— Steve Schmidt (@SteveSchmidtSES) August 20, 2020
Over the last 12 years. Once she was able to rid herself of the treachery and disloyalty of her staff she soared like an Eagle.... Not
— Steve Schmidt (@SteveSchmidtSES) August 20, 2020
Schmidt jokingly pointed out that—even once Palin was rid of him and Wallace—her career didn't exactly flourish.
Others played along.
She sure did soar 😂😂😂 pic.twitter.com/CWsqxAZTTl
— Golden Nugget (@Goldennugget85) August 20, 2020
“In the end, people get the peers they deserve". While I doubt that was INTENDED as a compliment, seeing wackadoodle Palin in all her undereducated glory again... geez. You put up with her for 70 days? That makes you eligible for sainthood.
— West Point Mom AntiTrump AF (@AvaLjordan) August 20, 2020
How desperate are they when they have to dig up Sarah Palin? The whole world is having flashbacks of this disaster of a politician
— Deb Hawk (@Hawks10880737) August 20, 2020
Last time I checked Steve and Nicolle are successful. I haven't heard Sarah Palin's name in like 10 years, until last week.
— Jared B (@a21jrod) August 20, 2020
You can see her lose her dignity from Russia.
— Tony (@tony15202) August 20, 2020
What? Like her stellar performance of "I Like Big Buts" on The Masked Singer?? Oh, I was the only one who caught that cringe-fest??? My eyes, my eyes...
— SQUIRREL gone nuts 🐾🐕🐾 (@kcowan1967) August 20, 2020
Others commended Schmidt and Wallace.
I believe with my whole heart that @SteveSchmidtSES and @NicolleDWallace absolutely loved and fought for John McCain to the bitter end.
— Leona Lynn Lauter (@AubinLeona) August 20, 2020
You both are American treasures. I held a grudge because you tried to push her on us but your ability to stand for what's right and true inspires me everyday. You're both great Americans.
— NYY Mae (@NYY_Mae) August 20, 2020
I want to call out @NicolleDWallace as one of the smartest and strongest analysts out there
— Richard Koman (@komanyoga) August 20, 2020
Wallace's and Schmidt's relationship with Palin during the 2008 campaign was dramatized for the HBO film Game Change.
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