Watch out, Haiti, Sarah Palin is making a visit.
The former vice-presidential candidate will reportedly visit the earthquake-ravaged country this weekend, fueling speculation that she’s beefing up her foreign policy credentials for a 2012 presidential run.
Palin will likely be accompanied by her husband, Todd, and 20-year-old daughter Bristol, according to Palin staffer Rebecca Mansour, who described the plan as fluid.
The island nation has been marred by a cholera outbreak that has killed 2,000 people. The country is also in the middle of a disputed presidential election that has set off deadly protests.
The U.S. State Department has reissued a travel warning urging Americans to refrain from nonessential travel.
Despite the potential danger, Palin will go with Rev. Franklin Graham — son of evangelical pastor Billy Graham — as part of his Samaritan’s Purse relief organization.
A spokeswoman for the group confirmed Palin would visit relief sites in Haiti, but details about the rest of the itinerary, including how long and where she’ll stay, is unclear.
Palin is also planning more overseas trips in 2011, according to the Daily Beast, which reported that Israel and England are two possible locations.
The former Alaska governor and GOP vice presidential nominee in 2008 has been criticized for her limited foreign policy experience since emerging as a top-political contender.
Her travel outside North America includes visiting troops in Germany and Kuwait last year. There was also a trip to Hong Kong where she gave a speech on U.S.-Chinese relations.
The Tea Party darling was slammed in 2007 after her campaign claimed (then retracted) that she went to Iraq when she was at a checkpoint at the Kuwait-Iraq border. She was also questioned if a 2008 refueling stop in Ireland counted as a visit.
Graham praised Palin’s willingness to go to Haiti, even in the midst of the country’s turmoil.
“I believe Gov. Palin will be a great encouragement to the people of Haiti and to the organizations, both government and private, working so hard to provide desperately needed relief,” he said.
With News Wire Services
