The Tragedy Of Sarah Palin's Life Is Just Plain Sad

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People born around the turn of the century have a skewed idea of Sarah Palin. She's someone they saw parodied on "South Park." A tragi-comic political figure who, professionally, was almost there but not quite. Someone, who, due to a viral SNL skit, is often misquoted to have said, "I can see Russia from my house!" per CBS News. "Whatever happened to her?" asked the 20-something comic Jake Shane on his "Therapuss" podcast. "Sometimes I mix her up with Tina Fay," replied his guest, the "Too Much" star Meg Stalter. But Palin's not some abstraction or something illusory. The Alaskan politician has led a very real and tragic life.

There's probably a lot you don't know about Palin. At least, that's how she saw it when speaking about her haters and public perception. "Bless their hearts, those haters out there," said Palin in 2014, as per MS NOW. "They don't understand that it invigorates me," she added. "It wants me to get out there and defend the innocent. It makes me want to work so hard for justice in this country!"

Although Palin's future in politics isn't looking so bright, given that she's retreated from politics, let's take a look at the straight-up sad tragedies throughout her life that made the former governor's work so much harder.

"I am a hunter. I grew up hunting," wrote Sarah Palin in a batch of 24,000 emails released to the media in 2011 (via the Guardian). "Some of my best memories growing up are of hunting with my dad to help [fill] our freezer." However, she didn't bring that hunter mentality — one of ruthlessness and canny –- when she first stepped into the political sphere.

Indeed, the sort of happy family life and upbringing Palin had in her youth isn't the usual politico origin story. Paul Ryan's dad, for example, passed away when he was 16, and Ronald Reagan had an alcoholic father. It was just one of many details that made Palin somewhat of an outcast in politics. "Before I became governor of the great state of Alaska, I was mayor of my hometown," she recalled in a speech at the Republican National Convention, after accepting the nomination for vice-president (via PBS). "And since our opponents in this presidential election seem to look down on that experience, let me explain to them what the job involves," she continued. "I guess a small-town mayor is sort of like a 'community organizer,' except that you have actual responsibilities."

You'd be forgiven if the phrase email scandal transports you back to 2016. Forgotten? Here's a look back at Hillary Clinton's legal issues. Well, Sarah Palin can't so proudly say she did the whole email controversy thing first. In the midst of the 2008 presidential campaign, when Palin was running for Republican vice president, WikiLeaks hacked the private email account of John McCain's second in command. The leak revealed that Palin had been using her Yahoo email address to conduct government business. Understandably, she wasn't happy.

"It's not right, it's not legal, it's not fair and decent, said Palin in 2010 at a court hearing, as per ABC News, where one hacker was found guilty on two charges (including obstruction of justice and illegally obtaining information). "Besides the obvious invasion of privacy and security concerns surrounding this issue, many of us are concerned about the integrity of our country's political elections," Palin added in a Facebook post after the trial (via ABC News). But that was just the tip of the iceberg.

In 2011, Alaska released all the emails. The communications revealed a lot, from Palin wanting to get a tanning bed in her mansion to setting up rendezvous with high-level political figures. Whether you see the hack as uncovering the truth or making a mountain out of a molehill, one thing's for sure: It was an invasion of Palin's privacy.

In a 2008 interview with Katie Couric, Sarah Palin admitted that she felt mocked by the press. That mocking was in response to Palin stating that Alaska's proximity to Russia improved her international relations creds. The apex of the deriding, which included her interview with Couric, came in a parody by Amy Poehler and Tina Fey on "SNL."

From suggesting that everyone should eat animals because God made them out of meat, according to Tatler, to gazing at notes written in black pen on her hand that, as per the Guardian, informed her to lift American spirits, Palin was a figure of ridicule for many reasons in the mid-to-late aughts.

"I feel like I'm at the breaking point with the hurtful gossip," she revealed in a 2008 email (as per the BBC). "I hate this part of the job and many days I feel like it's not worth it." It all clearly affected Palin. So much so that, in 2009, she demanded an apology for a joke David Letterman made about her daughter. But the ridicule did not stop. E.g., in 2022, Palin's changing appearance had X/formerly Twitter in a tizzy.

Throughout her political career, Sarah Palin was staunchly anti-abortion. But she found herself having a crisis of her own faith when pregnant with her fifth child... she was thinking about getting an abortion. "It was a time when I had to ask myself was I gonna walk the walk or I was gonna talk the talk," she said regarding her dark night of the soul when speaking at an anti-abortion rally in 2009 (via ABC News). "There, just for a fleeting moment, I thought, I knew, nobody knows me here [outside of Alaska]. Nobody would ever know."

The reason for Palin's self-reflection? It was revealed to her during pregnancy that her soon-to-be-born son, Trig Palin, had Down syndrome. As per the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, nearly 6,000 U.S. newborns each year have the condition, which often causes delayed development and can be accompanied by heart defects. Regardless of your views on the contentious matter of abortion, it was certainly a difficult time for the Palin family. But, without further ado, meet Palin's son, Trig Palin.

Whether it was tougher bedtimes, difficult doctors' appointments, or traveling, Trig Palin's Down syndrome was something that Sarah Palin took a while to get to grips with as a parent. For example, Trig's condition influenced her career. "I think much of it had to do with the kids seeing their baby brother Trig mocked by some pretty mean-spirited adults recently," said Palin, as per WBUR, in her 2009 resignation speech in which she announced she'd be leaving politics (more on that shortly).

That was the short term, but Palin also feared for Trig permanently. "There's still fear about my son Trig's future because of health and social challenges," she wrote in Newsweek. "And certainly some days are much more difficult than if I had a 'normal' child.'" Indeed, a 2012 study from Current Gerontology and Geriatrics Research found that after turning 35, mortality rates double every 6.4 years for those with Down Syndrome. Moreover, they have a life expectancy of just 43 to 55 years. Even though Palin had Trig when she was in her early 40s, the idea that you might outlive your child is understandably scary for any parent.

By the late noughties, Sarah Palin had been through a lot both personally and professionally. However, her decision to resign as Alaska's state representative was still a bolt from the blue. Or, in-GOP terms, a bolt from the red. So, what gave? Was it the machinations of politics, pressures from the press, and-slash-or her lengthy 819-mile each-way commute?

"I love my job and I love Alaska. It hurts to make this choice," admitted Palin during a family garden-based presser, as per WBUR. "Don't explain: Your friends don't need it and your enemies won't believe you anyway," she added, quoting a saying stuck to her parents' refrigerator. What's more tragic is that, despite the perpetual criticism and difficulties she faced, Palin was considered by many as a breath of fresh Wasillan air that the Republican party needed. Heck, some even tipped her as a potential future commander-in-chief. To paraphrase countless manosphere podcasts, there's nothing sadder than wasted potential... especially if you could have been president.

Palin remained somewhat positive about the whole ordeal, however. As shown in the coup de grâce of her resignation speech, with a line lifted from the 5-star ranked General Douglas MacArthur, "We are not retreating. We are advancing in another direction."

In the age of SWAT teams being called to streamers' houses, there's something sadly quite quaint about the humble death threat. But that doesn't mean it should be taken any less seriously. Sarah Palin found that out in 2011, after she made some comments that allegedly stoked the political party divides and culminated in a shooting spree, which saw Democratic politician Gabrielle Giffords survive a shot. We won't go into detail, but on X, some called for Palin to suffer the same fate.

Naturally, Palin spoke to people well-versed in security and made a statement challenging those who suggested she had a hand in the attacks. "[Such criminal acts] begin and end with the criminals who commit them," Palin said, speaking in a video statement (via Politico). "Journalists and pundits should not manufacture a blood libel [against her and other Republicans] that serves only to incite the very hatred and violence they purport to condemn. That is reprehensible."

This wasn't just a tragedy for Palin; it was for her family, too. "We sleep with the guns," said her father, Chuck Heath, speaking to the BBC. "A good example is one guy from Pennsylvania," he added, detailing the extent of the threats. "He sent us and other people copies of a gun he'd bought, copies of a receipt for a gun he bought, copies of a one-way ticket to Anchorage." Thankfully, those treats were only threats.

"What would he be doin' pushin' girls around, though?" asked Sarah Palin in a 2014 police interview, as per CNN. Freeze frame. Record scratch. How did we get here? Well, at an Alaska-based party in September 2014, pretty much the whole Palin family was involved in a tragedy. Everything was going as planned when Palin and co. stepped out of a limousine and into the party. However, when a group of men allegedly insulted Bristol Palin, her brother, Track Palin, turned from a party-goer into a pseudo-boxer when he suggested a fight. Read more on Palin's son, Track Palin.

Accounts of the night differ. Some say Bristol was gunning for a ruckus as soon as she entered, but others stated that the Palins were reactive rather than active. Where was Palin in all this? She was there, but safe from the scrimmage. Regardless, it certainly was something she and the family needed to get through. "As you can imagine, [my kids] and my extended family have experienced so many things (liberal media-driven) that may have crushed others without a strong foundation of faith," the ex-governor wrote on Facebook (via CNN). "I'm thankful for our friends' prayer shield that surrounds them, allowing faith to remain their anchor."

"Our family is intact – [our] house is not ..." wrote Sarah Palin on X in November 2018 regarding the 7.0 magnitude earthquake that hit Alaska. "I imagine that's the case for many, many others. So thankful to be safe; praying for our state following the earthquake." Indeed, it was Alaska-as-a-disaster film, with roads split in two, power outages, and shaky amateur video footage of even shakier furniture. Thankfully, as per NPR, there were no casualties.

But a video posted to Facebook showed the extent to which the earthquake rocked, quite literally, the Palin family's world and the kitchen-slash-living room of her parents' home. The footage shows a house turned upside down, with broken plates, broken glass, and all manner of products strewn across the floor. It's like someone couldn't find their keys, but on steroids. "My parents' home in Wasilla is usually in tip-top shape, wrote Palin in the video's caption. "Here it is this morning, following the earthquake. The video doesn't begin to show the scope."

The Palins were keeping optimistic, however. As an off-screen voice in the aforementioned video says, "It's better than having a house burn to ashes."

Like 40% of American couples who tie the knot, per the Institute for Family Studies, Todd and Sarah Palin split in 2019 after over 30 years together. Interestingly, it was Todd who filed for divorce. Why? Was it the affair rumors that will haunt Palin forever? According to the BBC, the latter cited an incompatibility between the pair that went so far as to make them unable to live together.

To make matters even more tragic, Todd filed the documents a week after the couple's 31st wedding anniversary. Ouch. "It's not easy to talk about," said Palin when speaking on the "Family Talk" podcast in 2019 (via People). "It was devastating. I thought I got shot," she added. "I'm sure so many of you either, maybe you've been through it or you have people whom you love, you've witnessed how horrible it is," she continued. "But I just think, wow, maybe except for the death of a child, I don't know what could be more ... Yeah, it hurts." Thankfully, there's one silver lining: the pair asked for joint custody of their youngest child Trig Palin. Here's a look inside Palin's relationship with her children.

Sarah Palin was not invited to her running mate John McCain's funeral in 2018. Understandably, she wasn't too happy about it. To give you context, here's a look inside McCain's relationship with Palin. "I was kinda surprised to be publicly disinvited to the funeral. I think that was an unnecessary step," said Palin, when speaking on "Good Morning Britain" in 2019. She also penned a heartfelt tribute to McCain on X after his death. Cindy McCain (John's widow) later stated, as per People, in her 2021 memoir "Stronger," the reason for the non-invite was that after John was diagnosed with brain cancer, Palin never reached out. No call. No text. Nothing.

However, Palin didn't consider that reason enough. "They didn't have to embarrass me and embarrass others," she continued, when speaking to the aforementioned U.K. breakfast news show. "That was all weird. I hope that doesn't happen to other people. It's kind of a gut punch." Whatever the way things really played out behind the scenes, you'd like to think funerals are a time to bring people together, not to start public beefs.

"[On the 12th January 2021] we kissed Mom goodbye," wrote Sarah Palin on Instagram in a post dedicated to her late mother, Sally Heath. "We'll miss her more than anything," she added. As the post showed, whether it was palling around with her grandchildren or being comforted by extended family, Heath was much loved by her clan.

Heath was what Palin once dubbed an Alaskan mama grizzly bear. A term for maternal northwesterly American women who defend their cubs (read: children) and rise against anything that'll harm their family. As Palin herself put it in a speech, as per APB Speakers, "You think a pit bull is tough? Well, you don't wanna mess with the mama grizzlies." One example of just how dedicated and influential Health was to her litter is that she was the one who first took Palin and her siblings to church. There, Heath planted the seed that would grow into her daughter's faith-fueled politics.

Palin also thanked and credited her mother for her resilience. "Every single day, through every heartbreak, hardship, rejection and frustration, she opened eyes to silver linings," added Palin in her aforementioned Instagram carousel. "Nothing is more solid in my life than my absorption of her belief that Through It All... It Is Well."

In 2022, dating rumors were swirling about Sarah Palin and a Rangers hockey star. Unlike some hearsay about Palin — for instance, the ex-governor thinking Africa is a country, not a continent –- these unverified claims swirled with purpose and truth. The relationship was a fact, though. That Rangers player? Former Detroit Red Wings ace and "Hockney Nights Live" commentator Ron Duguay.

However, tragedy struck their relationship in 2024, when Duguay was diagnosed with stage 4 cancer. "One of the hardest things we've learned through this journey is that cancer doesn't fight fair," said Shay Thomas, Duguay's daughter, on Instagram in 2026. The post also revealed that Palin was by her man's side during this difficult time. "[Palin's] been involved and incredibly supportive in my dad's entire journey," added Thomas when speaking to Us Weekly about the Fox News contributor helping out in their time of need. "Their relationship can obviously be challenging because they live long distance (via Yahoo Entertainment)." For all parties involved, the word tragic doesn't even begin to describe this ordeal.