Former Alaska Governor Sarah Palin, the 2008 GOP vice presidential nominee, made a surprise appearance to stump for Donald Trump at his San Diego rally leading into Memorial Day weekend. She slammed President Obama for “another U.S. apology lap” to Vietnam.

The powerhouse conservative lauded Trump and his supporters from the stage at his rally Friday afternoon for knocking down the GOP hierarchy, blazing a path to rebuild the Republican Party:

Trump came roaring in through this primary, and he blew the lid off the corrupted and corroded machine. He was like a golden wrecking ball. He wrecked what needed to be wrecked in order to shine light on the shenanigans, in order to allow us to rebuild because, see, Trump builds things. He builds big things. And with optimism and with common sense, he solves problems.

Palin said the typical politicos won’t “add value” to the opportunities around us like Trump will:

You know that tent that the GOP operatives have at least claimed for so long now that they really wanted to enlarge? Yeah, nah, they didn’t really want to enlarge it because they’re really freaked out now that we all came in and demolished their tight-knit tent. That tent that protected their pocketbook, we demolished it with new Republicans and with smart Democrats and with your garden variety, everyday pissed off Americans.

Trump has “truly enlarged the tent,” said Palin.

She accused the “politicos” of wanting to make Trump supporters feel stupid for their support of the now-presumptive GOP nominee and for wanting government accountability.

“No, don’t ever feel stupid,” she said. “If you ever do, just remember, stupid is: some people are actually going to vote for the ‘crooked’ one.” Palin was referring to Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton whom Trump has nicknamed “Crooked Hillary.”

Palin referred to President Barack Obama’s trip to Vietnam leading into Memorial Day:

Stupid is thinking that it is okay on Memorial Day weekend for the Democrat “leader” to take another U.S. apology lap. This time, dissing our vets with claims that the greatest generation perhaps were perpetuating the evil of World War II? No, [stupid is] our Commander-in-Chief  suggesting, actually lying, in suggestions to the world that we were wrong to prove that we would eradicate evil in World War II, that America was wrong to respond to unprovoked deadly attacks on Pearl Harbor that killed thousands of Americans, that our troops were wrong to end a war that we didn’t start. No, our President today overseas suggesting what? That we were wrong to prolong the horrors that our troops, our POWs, our MIAs, and their own civilian, their own civilian rapes and massacres and those death marches that they were all…Stupid is supporting that warped view by supporting today’s candidates doing anything about it, to stop it. No, stupid is supporting…this week in Hiroshima instead of Pearl Harbor to memorialize the Americans who lost their lives in defense of freedom.

Obama’s recent trips to places, including communist dictatorship Cuba, Saudi Arabia, and now Hiroshima, Japan, and Vietnam have been among trips dubbed his world apology tour.

“The only thing, though, that I hate more than fighting a war would be losing a war, so I want a president who wants to win. I want a president who knows how to win,” said Palin.

“I want a president who inherently knows it weakens us showing up Memorial Day weekend even, no, instead of showing up somewhere to promise, ‘Hey, you mess with the innocent, you pick a fight with America, you steal our security, you spin on our freedom, we’ll put a boot in your ass; it’s the American way.’”

The crowd interspersed chants of “Trump” and “USA” during Palin’s speech. Amongst the sea of rallygoers were signs promoting veterans for Trump.

Palin spoke of the Gadsden flag and the rattle snake displayed on it, “willing to strike.” She said of Obama’s talk of world leaders being rattled by Trump’s words, “Rattling, it’s a good thing. It makes Donald Trump’s foreign policy very clear. It’s just like [former President] Ronald Reagan’s. That’s: We win. They lose. That is the Trump doctrine.”

She thanked the Trump-supporting crowd as “America’s last, best hope” and instructed them to “be like Trump and stand tall and proud and productive. Be like Trump and don’t back down. Be that happy warrior.”

“If you prefer Jefferson’s dangerous freedom over peaceful slavery over a corrupt and overpowering government today, then you fight for that freedom, and you will Make America Great Again.”

Palin posted several photos of herself, husband Todd, and two of their children, Piper and Trig, gathered with Trump at the rally:

Follow Michelle Moons on Twitter @MichelleDiana.