News spread a week ago that Donald Trump would be making a return to Ames, and with the news came mixed feelings. Looking at the atrocious event that took place during the CyHawk tailgate the last time Trump was in town, hesitation stemming from the possibility of another incident was palpable.

Thankfully, no posters were torn and no one was injured as a result of his reappearance, although in true Trump form he did draw groups of protesters, which were ejected from the building. What Trump brought with him this time was an entirely different issue, an issue of the Alaskan kind.

Sarah Palin, politician turned reality TV “star” — using that term loosely given her TLC show “Sarah Palin’s Alaska” only lasted three months — and the GOP’s 2008 vice presidential nominee also appeared in the Hansen Agriculture Student Learning Center to endorse Trump.

“Why would I jump into a primary and choose one over friends who are running? I am here because I know it is now or never. I am in it to win it,” Palin said.

John McCain declared in his 2008 campaign for president that Palin, his running mate, was “the most popular governor in the nation.” However, that was only in her home state of Alaska, and things have since changed. Palin’s approval rating in Alaska dropped from 80 percent to below the 50 percent mark only two years after the McCain-Palin loss, which was about the same time she jumped ship as Alaska’s governor.

Her national popularity has dwindled and her name is now more linked to the hilarious skits on Saturday Night Live in which Tina Fey, who does look freakishly like Palin, puts a comedic twist on Palin’s actions both inside and outside of government duties.

Nicolle Wallace, who worked on the McCain-Palin campaign as a senior adviser, shared on “The Today Show” on Wednesday morning that Palin “still does have a following” in Iowa, but her wording clearly implies that she has little following elsewhere, and this is vital for Iowans to keep in mind.

Palin has had a history that is less than stellar and is, if nothing else, a loose cannon and may not help the Trump campaign near as much as some believe she will. Yes, she is just as radical as Trump is and yes, she is just as outspoken as Trump, but one malignant entity will not serve another.

Wallace also shared on Today that Palin may have an interest in taking over for Arnold Schwarzenegger on “The Apprentice” if he doesn’t “work out” as the host of the hit NBC reality series created by none other than The Donald himself.

Did Palin hop on board as a way to regain footing in the reality TV world? Only time will tell, but in the meantime, Trump supporters shouldn’t rely on her to boost his campaign to a sure win come the Iowa Caucuses.