Could Sarah Palin challenge Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) in the 2022 Alaska Republican Senate primary?
The former governor of Alaska and 2008 running mate with Republican presidential candidate John McCain said she “can see 2022 from my house” in a video calling out Murkowski for opposing President Donald Trump’s plan to nominate a new Supreme Court justice before the presidential election.
“Lisa Murkowski, this is my house,” Palin says in the video. “I’m willing to give it up for the greater good of this country.”
“If you can’t find it within yourself to do the right thing this time and at least give a fair shake to the Supreme Court nominee that your president will be bringing before you,” Palin continues.
She demands that Murkowski do “what the majority of Americans want you to do when you were sent to Washington, D.C.”
She urges Murkowski to “backtrack” her opposition to a Trump nominee.
Speaking to reporters Tuesday, Murkowski refused to commit to supporting a Republican-led effort to confirm a new justice.
“I know everybody wants to ask the question, ‘Will you confirm the nominee?'” Murkowski said. “We don’t have a nominee yet. You and I don’t know who that is. And so I can’t confirm whether or not I can confirm a nominee when I don’t know who the nominee is.”
She reaffirmed her position that she “would not support taking up a potential Supreme Court vacancy this close to the election.”
“Sadly, what was then a hypothetical is now our reality, but my position has not changed,” Murkowski said. “I did not support taking up a nomination eight months before the 2016 election to fill the vacancy created by the passing of Justice Scalia.”
“We are now even closer to the 2020 election — less than two months out — and I believe the same standard must apply,” she added.
Palin suggested Murkowski’s instance on waiting for the election indicates she hopes President Trump loses.
“You’d better backtrack … you know you’d already put yourself in this box saying no matter who it is you’re not going to support the person, not until you have the chance to appoint a judicial nominee under another president instead of this one?” Palin asked. “You’re hoping what, that this president doesn’t win?
“Otherwise you’d be cooperating with the president, really what it is is cooperating with the majority of Americans who know that it’s now or never for America.”
“So much hinges on the Supreme Court … you know why it’s so important and that’s why you’re thinking you’re going to go rogue,” Palin says. “There’s a time and a place to go rogue, this isn’t the time. This isn’t the place.”
Palin ends the video with a possible threat to challenge Murkowski when her term ends in 2022.
“We sure hope that you have it within you to do the right thing this time. So you should walk back, we’ll forgive you,” Palin says. “If you can’t do that, remember my house? I can see a lot of things from my house.
“Lisa, I can see 2022 from my house.”
This is not the first time Palin has threatened to challenge Murkowski. In 2018, when Murkowski opposed the Supreme Court nomination of Justice Brett Kavanaugh, Palin tweeted “Hey @LisaMurkowski – I can see 2022 from my house …”
