Sarah Palin, who is on a bus tour focusing on historical sites, took time out tonight to meet up with Donald Trump.
The two first chatted briefly at Trump Tower on Fifth Avenue, and then headed over to Famiglia’s, an Italian pizza chain in Times Square, for dinner.
Bombarded by the media at both sites, Palin and Trump made it clear in their responses how highly they thought of each other. At Trump Tower, Trump called Palin “a terrific woman and a terrific friend” and said he would “love her to run.”
Palin reciprocated Trump’s enthusiasm. Asked how she felt about a Palin/Trump ticket, Palin gushed, “That sounds exciting. Sounds unconventional.”
She also praised Trump’s attitude. “I love his independence,” Palin said. “I love anybody who is not run by a political machine and will say what they want to say and will put their good experience to use in the name of service to this country.”
Palin, however, sidestepped a question about whether she had urged Trump to re-consider a presidential bid.
“I told him don’t shy away from speaking out, keep stirring it up and getting people to think about what the solutions are to get the economy back on the right track,” she responded.
Palin said the two shared “love for this country, a desire to see our economy put back on the right track” and both wanted to “have a balanced trade arrangement with other countries across this world so Americans can have our jobs, our industries, our manufacturing again.”
While Trump refused to share details of what the two discussed at dinner (in full view of a window full of gawkers), Palin said topics included China and the GOP presidential bench.
The two have been in touch since the 2008 campaign, Palin said.
“Any time you go to New York you want to say hi to Donald Trump,” Palin added.
