'What drugs is she on?' Sarah Palin says illegal immigrant children given gift baskets; April fools?

The big secret that Sarah Palin was going to endorse Donald Trump in Iowa turned out to be not much of a secret. Palin made the announcement in January, and “moderately conservative” Washington Post columnist Kathleen Parker quickly declared her “insane” via a Twitter hashtag.

To many, though, her endorsement was a shock. Palin was an ardent supporter of Ted Cruz during his senatorial campaign and even demanded that Fox News’ Chris Wallace expose which “top Republicans” had tried to “trash” Cruz by sending Wallace unsolicited opposition research.

That was then; now Palin is campaigning actively for border wall advocate Trump, speaking yesterday, April 1, at a rally in Milwaukee and telling the crowd that illegal immigrant children are given gift baskets at the border.

In Milwaukee, Sarah Palin says illegal immigrants who come across Mexican border get "gift baskets with soccer balls."

— Reid J. Epstein (@reidepstein) April 2, 2016

@reidepstein @good4green @SarahPalinUSA What an idiot..This should drop Trump to 80-90% unfavorable rating in no time…#CrushTrump

— NurseMom (@RiseUpAbove) April 2, 2016

@reidepstein @Anomaly100 What drugs is she on?

— Ms Galahad (@flipsville) April 2, 2016

https://twitter.com/whitebg19611/status/716086789581221888

@reidepstein I really hope people just send her gift baskets with soccer balls en masse

— Richard (@arrpeeoh) April 2, 2016

@reidepstein Are they gift baskets placed in the desert?

— John Weaver (@jwgop) April 2, 2016

@reidepstein I honestly thing she's not right mentally, she seems a bit off the rails.

— whoisthat; ?? (@CanstrCa) April 2, 2016

@reidepstein WTF?

— Jodythedeadcat (@jodythedeadcat) April 2, 2016

@reidepstein she's pretending SHE'S spokesperson of REAL victims of earth:those w/abusive mindsets who judge & deride suffering of others

— #EndSuperdelegates ⏳ (@pppatticake) April 2, 2016

As much fun as the public has had at Palin’s expense, her claim didn’t arise from insanity, or drugs, but from photos of illegal immigrant children being given gift baskets with soccer balls — by former pals Glenn Beck and Ted Cruz. Unlike many probably assumed from Palin’s comment, this was not a government-funded effort, but a project of Beck’s Mercury One charity in 2014.

#M1Charity joins @GlennBeck July 19 to assist underage refugees crossing our borders. http://t.co/A1SR1QrdsJ #borderrelief

— Mercury One (@Mercury1Charity) July 9, 2014

Sen. Ted Cruz announces that he will be joining #M1Charity and @GlennBeck this weekend in McAllen, TX: http://t.co/qOUljGHsfQ #borderrelief

— Mercury One (@Mercury1Charity) July 17, 2014

Providing relief to children on the border today with @mercury1charity. Follow along here: http://t.co/9a4qncPRBB #M1BorderRelief SJ

— Glenn Beck (@glennbeck) July 19, 2014

Judge for yourself who’s doing (or did) the right thing, but Palin’s not making this up.

.@reidepstein She's probably referring to the initiative by Beck to give food, water & donated items to underaged youth crossing the border.

— Jen Has Moved On! (@JJM917) April 2, 2016

@reidepstein @maggieNYT They got gift baskets and soccer balls from Ted Cruz and Glenn Beck.

— Helzy Delecto (@Helzbaby) April 3, 2016

https://twitter.com/cocosbentmind/status/716219480544772096

https://twitter.com/kraythe/status/716143278710599680

https://twitter.com/JoeAzarian/status/716121072786149376

.@tedcruz joined @GlennBeck on 6.19.2014 at the border in TX & handed out soccer balls & teddy bears to flood of illegals, @reidepstein

— Sharon Knapik (@FreeStateYank) April 2, 2016

https://twitter.com/TheAngieNC2/status/716153623709757440

So, how was the rest of the speech?

Palin's fastball is gone. She got applause 3x in 19 minutes: for touting the Packers, for hitting Hillary and when she finished. That's it.

— Reid J. Epstein (@reidepstein) April 2, 2016