VIDEO: Palin says Steve King 'huffing ethanol' for casting aspersions on her Trump endorsement

CEDAR RAPIDS — Speaking to a crowd of hundreds Monday afternoon in downtown Cedar Rapids, Sarah Palin jabbed Iowa U.S. Rep. Steve King for 'huffing ethanol' when he suggested she was swayed by the financial means of GOP presidential hopeful Donald Trump.

Palin was speaking at a rally for Trump, who she announced last month she was endorsing. King, a conservative northwest Iowa representative, backs close rival Cruz instead.

King asserted in an MSNBC interview that the former Alaska governor and unsuccessful vice presidential candidate had been persuaded to support Trump because of the 'massive amount of assets and resources that he can deploy when it comes time to convince someone. That has to impact how people think.'

Palin said that isn't the case.

'Why would a good conservative guy like Steve King from the heartland of Iowa want to say something that he knows isn't true? That just doesn't sound like the heartland of America,' Palin said. 'Maybe he has forgot his heart in the heartland, and got the touch of the Potomac fever there in D.C. Maybe he's been hanging out in a cornfield too long, huffing ethanol or something.'

Hesitating from mostly silence that greeted her comments, Palin cast her remarks as a Republican lesson.

'Hey. I'm not the only one learning from Donald Trump that you stand up for what is right. You stand up for yourself, your family, your community, and epically your country when somebody says something that isn't accurate and is not true. You just don't kowtow and stand in a fetal position and let them clobber you. Heck, we got a commander and chief today that is doing that.'

After Palin's jabs, made at the DoubeTree by Hilton, Trump opened his speech,

'If you see someone throwing a tomato, knock the crap out of them,' he said to cheers — referencing the arrest of a protester at a Trump rally last week at the University of Iowa. 'I will pay for the legal fees. I promise. They won't be so much because the courts agree with us, too.'

No fruits were thrown, but a lone protester did interrupt the billionaire before being escorted out by security.

Trump urged the crowd to drown out the protester with chants and asked, 'Do you have a tomato?'

Just hours before the caucuses begin, a Real Clear Politics polling average shows Trump besting Cruz by nearly 5 points.

Trump recited his list of common campaign themes, including immigration, China, Iran, federal debt, refugees and education.

Also appearing at the rally were Trump's wife, Melania, and daughter Ivanka.

'My father has been working unbelievably hard his whole life, and now he is dedicated to work unbelievably hard for each and every one of you, and for people all over this great country,' Ivanka Trump said.