Sarah Palin Threatens To Primary Lisa Murkowski Over SCOTUS Vote: ‘I Can See 2022 From My House’

Former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin threatened to run a primary challenge against GOP Sen. Lisa Murkowski for refusing to back a nominee to the Supreme Court before the 2020 election.

Palin posted a video to her Instagram account on Thursday addressed to Murkowski. In it, Palin is standing in front of her home in Alaska and says that she can “see 2022” from her house, a reference to when Murkowski is next up for reelection.

“Lisa Murkowski, this is my house,” Palin begins. “I’m willing to give it up … for the greater good of this country and this great state.”

Palin tells Murkowski to “walk back” her position that the winner of the presidential election should nominate a Supreme Court justice to replace the late Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, who died last week from cancer.

Murkowski said on Sunday, “For weeks, I have stated that I 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.”

“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.

Murkowski has already shifted away from her stated position on Sunday. On Tuesday, the Alaska Republican said she “can’t confirm whether or not I can confirm a nominee when I don’t know who the nominee is.”

Early in her Thursday video, Palin hinted that Murkowski may face repercussions for not voting to confirm President Trump’s Supreme Court nominee, expected to be announced on Saturday.

“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, if you can’t find it within yourself to do the right thing, … and [do] what the majority of Americans want you to do, to do what you were sent to Washington, D.C., to do,” Palin says.

“Walk back what you have already committed yourself to. You better backtrack. You know, you have already put yourself in this box saying no matter who it is, you’re not going to support the person, not until you have a chance to appoint a judicial nominee under another president instead of this one,” Palin continues. “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 the reason, you know why it’s so important, and that’s why you’re thinking you’re going to go rogue. You know, there’s a time and a place to go rogue. This isn’t the time, this isn’t the place. We sure hope you have it within you to do the right thing this time. So you should walk back,” Palin says, adding in a reference to her 2009 book “Going Rogue.”

“We’ll forgive you. Wait … we’ve done this how many times before, though? And we kept saying we’d forgive this? 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,” Palin says.

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Palin made a similar threat to Murkowski in 2018 after the senator voted against pushing Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh’s confirmation out of the Senate Judiciary Committee to the full Senate.

“Hey @LisaMurkowski – I can see 2022 from my house,” Palin said.

Hey @LisaMurkowski – I can see 2022 from my house…

— Sarah Palin (@SarahPalinUSA) October 5, 2018