Indeed, while Palin has high negative ratings among the general public, she also has a large, devoted following among voters that many GOP strategists say have been neglected by the mainstream candidates.

Trump, Republican consultant Ed Rollins said, has benefited from an “incredible voter disconnect” by the rest of the Republican primary field, and now stands to carve off a large slice of conservative Palin followers.

“At this point in time, there’s a lot of people that still like her,” Rollins said. “There’s a significant tea party out there that she can tap into.”

Stuart Stevens, the strategist for Mitt Romney’s 2012 presidential campaign, said the Palin-Trump alliance bolsters both of them.

“Good for both of them and smart on Trump’s part,” Stevens said in an email. “She appeals to a certain segment of the electorate and has been largely left out of the discussion and, for her, it’s a way to participate more in [the] discussion.”