Sarah Palin is running for office for the first time in nearly a decade-and-a-half, and her antagonistic disposition towards the country’s media corps appears intact.
“You know, I would never be so cocky as to say bring it on, but yes I anticipate that when I walk down that hall to get my diet Dr Pepper, sure the jackals are going to be there doing their jackalling,” Ms Palin told Jesse Watters during an appearance on his Fox News show Monday night.
Ms Palin announced last week that she is running for the US House in her home state of Alaska in a bid to succeed the late Don Young, who died in mid-March.
Mr Young was a legendary, colourful figure in Alaska politics, a Republican first elected to the House 1973 who would go on to become its longest-serving member.
Ms Palin has had a troubled relationship with media for years dating back to her vice presidential candidacy in 2008, and has referred to the “lamestream media” in past public remarks.
In 2017, Ms Palin sued The New York Times for defamation after the newspaper published an editorial accusing Ms Palin of “political incitement” prior to the 2011 shooting of Arizona congresswomen Gabrielle Giffords — pointing to an advertisement from Palin’s political action committee which showed a crosshairs on the districts of vulnerable Democratic lawmakers.
The lawsuit eventually came to trial in February, when the jury unanimously found in favor of the Times.
Ms Palin has not held elected office since she resigned in the middle of her first term as governor of Alaska back in July 2009. She said her resignation was driven in part by the cost of defending herself against numerous ethics complaints lodged against her in Alaska, and quickly launched a media career that included a reality television show, a book tour, and a Fox News segment.
She also established herself as one of the leading figures in the Tea Party movement, and, in early 2016, became one of the highest-profile figures to endorse Donald Trump for president in a widely-mocked Iowa speech that inspired the Times to “attempt to translate” ten of its “most memorable” lines.
Ms Palin is counting on Mr Trump’s support to help lift her to the top of a crowded all-party primary field that includes 48 candidates.
“Sarah lifted the McCain presidential campaign out of the dumps despite the fact that she had to endure some very evil, stupid, and jealous people within the campaign itself. They were out to destroy her, but she didn’t let that happen,” Mr Trump said in a statement issued Sunday night.
“I am proud to give her my Complete and Total Endorsement, and encourage all Republicans to united behind this wonderful person and her campaign to put America First!”
Under Alaska’s new voting system, all the candidates to fill the remainder of Young’s term will compete in a primary on 11 June.
The top four vote-getters will advance to the general election on 16 August, which will be held alongside the regular primary election for the seat. The general election, both for the special and regular elections, will be decided by ranked-choice voting.
Unlike Ms Palin, Mr Young did not support Donald Trump for president in the Republican primary of 2016 and was one of the Republican caucus’ more moderate members — voting with President Joe Biden more than 30 percent of the time and supporting legislation like the PRO Act.
Ms Palin figures to have her share of stiff competition. Nick Begich, the nephew of former Alaska senator Mark Begich, is running in the Republican primary along with former leader of the Alaska Senate John Coghill. 2020 Democratic Senate nominee Al Gross is running as an Independent.
On Watters’ show on Monday night, Ms Palin announced that, should she be elected to the House, she would “beg” second-term New York congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez to debate her.
“I will be very polite, and I would beg her to debate me, please, AOC,“ Ms Palin said.
