Former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin endorses Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump during a rally at the Iowa State University on Jan. 19. | AP Photo Donald Trump's major endorsements

Donald Trump's campaign surprised political insiders and fellow Republicans in late February when he appeared on stage alongside former rival New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie and received his endorsement.

Before that, the campaign racked up headlines in January when Sarah Palin, former Alaska governor and running mate to Sen. John McCain during the 2008 presidential campaign, endorsed the real estate mogul.


Trump had few other big-name endorsements until his recent primary wins. Below, we take a look at some of the well-known people standing behind Trump.

Indiana Gov. Mike Pence: “I’m fully supportive of our presumptive nominee, and I do think Donald Trump will do well in the State of Indiana,” Pence told reporters May 6, according to Indianapolis' Fox affiliate. “I’m going to campaign hard for the Republican nominee because Indiana needs a partner in the White House.”

Michigan Rep. Candice Miller: The Republican chairwoman of the House Administration Committee and a 13-year veteran of Congress, endorsed Trump in a phone Interview with POLITICO on May 4, calling on the GOP establishment in Washington to rally behind the presumed nominee.

Rep. Bill Shuster (R-Pa.): Shuster's April 28 announcement was one of Trump's first endorsements by a chairman of a House committee, with Shuster having led the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee since January 2013. “Donald is a private sector business leader who knows what it takes to get things done — and that is something that Washington desperately needs.”

House Veterans Affairs Chairman Jeff Miller (R-Fla.): Miller, who is retiring, said: "Trump is the only person who has what it takes to shake up the status quo and entrenched bureaucrats in Washington D.C."

Rick Scott: “I’m asking all Republicans today to come together and begin preparing to win the general election in November,” Florida Gov. Rick Scott wrote. “With his victories yesterday, I believe it is now time for Republicans to accept and respect the will of the voters and coalesce behind Donald Trump.”

Chris Christie: During his endorsement speech in late February, the New Jersey governor said he could "guarantee you that the one person that Hillary and Bill Clinton do not want to see on that stage is Donald Trump," remarking that the Clintons "do not know the playbook of Donald Trump because he is rewriting the playbook.”

"I’m happy to be on the Trump team, and I look forward to working with him," said Christie, who dropped his own presidential bid Feb. 10.

Ben Carson: "There are two different Donald Trumps," the retired neurosurgeon said on March 11 when giving his endorsement. "There’s the one you see on the stage and there’s the one who’s very cerebral, sits there and considers things very carefully. You can have a very good conversation with him, and that’s the Donald Trump that you’re going to see more and more of right now."

Sen. Jeff Sessions: Alabama Sen. Jeff Sessions' endorsement in late February was a major blow to Texas Sen. Ted Cruz, whose success may hinge on winning tea party and evangelical voters and who has so often cited Sessions as an ally in his fight against the 2013 immigration reform effort.

Jan Brewer: Former Arizona Gov. Jan Brewer endorsed Trump in late February, citing his stance on immigration as the reason for her support. "For years I pleaded with the federal government to do their job and secure our border. Today, we can elect a President who will do just that — Donald J. Trump," Brewer said in a statement released by Trump's campaign. Brewer, 71, was governor of Arizona from 2009 to 2015.

Sarah Palin: The former Alaska governor, vice presidential candidate and reality television personality threw her support behind Trump in January. During a rally, she decried Barack Obama as a disastrous president and said the billionaire businessman is the outsider that the Republican Party needs to reclaim the White House. "He is from the private sector, not a politician. Can I get a Hallelujah?” she said to the crowd in Ames, Iowa, adding, “Are you ready for a commander in chief who will let our warriors do their job and kick ISIS’s ass?”

Jerry Falwell: The president of Liberty University in Virginia, Jerry Falwell Jr. broke with many social conservatives in January when he endorsed Trump. "He is a successful executive and entrepreneur, a wonderful father and a man who I believe can lead our country to greatness again," Falwell said in a statement. Falwell was rebuked afterward by conservatives for aligning with a man they do not believe has strong moral character.

Willie Robertson: "Duck Dynasty" reality television personality Willie Robertson endorsed Trump in January, breaking from the political beliefs of his father, Phil Robertson, who has endorsed Ted Cruz. "“Mr. Trump is a real leader. He represents success and strength, two attributes our country needs. Like me, he is a successful businessman and family man and I endorse his candidacy for President of the United States," Robertson said in a statement.

Sheriff Joe Arpaio: Joe Arpaio, sheriff of Maricopa County, Arizona, who was found guilty of racial profiling Latinos by a federal judge, endorsed Donald Trump in January. He called the former reality television host a "great patriot" during a press conference. "It's just easy to endorse him because everything I believe in, he's doing and he's going to be doing it when he becomes president."

Rep. Duncan Hunter: Rep. Duncan Hunter (R-Calif.) gave Trump his first congressional endorsement in February, saying the real estate mogul has the strength needed for the job. "We don't need a policy wonk as president. We need a leader as president," Hunter said, adding that he has told his colleagues much of the same thing. "I'm in, and I've been in," he said.

The National Border Patrol Council: The union local, which represents roughly 16,500 border patrol agents, broke with a "longstanding practice" against endorsing a candidate when it endorsed Donald Trump for president March 30, it said in a statement.

New York Rep. Chris Collins also endorsed Trump in February, The Buffalo News reported.

NASCAR CEO Brian France: "I've known Donald for over 20 years," France said. "I'm going to tell you one thing: You know about his winning and success. He wins with his family. Any of his children, you'd be proud to have in your family. That's how I judge a winner."

Rep. Tom Marino: A Republican from the northeastern corner of Pennsylvania, Marino became the fifth sitting member of Congress to publicly throw his support to Donald Trump, in late February. In an exclusive interview with POLITICO, Marino, a former prosecutor, said Trump has “overwhelming support” in his district because “he’s the man for the unprotected ... not the protected, not for the Wall Street people, not for the D.C. insiders, but for the hard-working taxpayers.”

Kansas Secretary of State Kris Kobach: “For me, the most important issue in the Republican presidential contest is immigration and its effect on our national security,” Kobach said in a statement. “On that issue Mr. Trump stands head and shoulders above the other candidates.”

The New York Observer editorial board: The editorial focuses on Trump's optimistic message and can-do leadership, necessary, the editorial states, in the face of "profound alienation, anger and disillusionment of millions of Americans." It adds: "Donald Trump is the father-in-law of the Observer’s publisher. That is not a reason to endorse him. Giving millions of disillusioned Americans a renewed sense of purpose and opportunity is."

Sheldon Adelson: The billionaire casino magnate formally endorsed Trump in mid-May, saying that he didn't agree with Trump on all issues but the real state mogul would be better than Hillary Clinton. "If Republicans do not come together in support of Trump, [President Barack] Obama will essentially be granted something the Constitution does not allow — a third term in the name of Hillary Clinton," he wrote.