Sarah Palin defamation trial: Ex-governor defines ‘don’t retreat, reload’ as trial prepares to close
Follow the latest updates on Palin’s suit against The New York Times
Your support helps us to tell the story
This election is still a dead heat, according to most polls. In a fight with such wafer-thin margins, we need reporters on the ground talking to the people Trump and Harris are courting. Your support allows us to keep sending journalists to the story.
The Independent is trusted by 27 million Americans from across the entire political spectrum every month. Unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock you out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. But quality journalism must still be paid for.
Help us keep bring these critical stories to light. Your support makes all the difference.
Sarah Palin testified for more than three hours in a trial stemming from her defamation lawsuit against The New York Times, which she has accused of damaging her reputation following a 2017 editorial that linked her political rhetoric to a mass shooting.
The newspaper’s legal team has appeared to argue that she has faced media scrutiny for years before she brought a legal challenge against the newspaper over an editorial that was corrected.
Ms Palin told the courtroom that “death threats” against her “ramped up” and felt like “orchestrated attacks” in the years before the editorial, and she said she felt “powerless” against the newspaper after the editorial was published.
“It was devastating to read, again, an accusation, false accusation, that I had anything to do with murdering innocent people,” she said from the witness stand in US District Court in Manhattan on 10 February.
Attorneys for the newspaper sought to undermine her claims of emotional and professional damage in the face of criticism, following her rhetoric and dozens of media appearances in her years in public office and on the Republican vice presidential ticket in 2008.
She also was questioned about her statement in the wake of a fatal 2011 shooting in Arizona, in which she wrote that “journalists and pundits should not manufacture a blood libel that serves only to incite the very hatred and violence they purport to condemn.”
Under more questioning about her multiple media appearances, the former Alaska governor and 2008 GOP vice presidential candidate begrudgingly responded when asked about her performance on The Masked Singer. She said the appearance was the “most fun 90 seconds of my life” and “it paid some bills.”
She also was questioned about one of her slogans – “don’t retreat, reload” – that she also shared on social media following criticisms against her in 2011.
Closing arguments in the trial – the first libel case against the newspaper to make it to trial in nearly 20 years – will begin on Friday.
David Axelrod, an attorney for the newspaper, asked the judge to dismiss the case, arguing that Ms Palin failed to provide evidence that then-editorial editor James Bennet knowingly published false material or with animus toward her, or was intentionally reckless in doing so.
Judge Jed Rakoff said he will reserve judgment until both parties present their closing arguments on Friday.
Earlier, the judge ruled that he will not not allow punitive damages against the Times, saying that no reasonable juror would conclude that Mr Bennet sought to injure Ms Palin.
“The evidence frankly that Mr Bennet harboured ill will toward Ms Palin is quite modest indeed,” he said.
Follow live updates as they happened
Palin: ‘Masked Singer’ appearance ‘paid some bills’
Under more questioning from New York Times attorney David Axelrod about her multiple Fox News appearances, speaking engagements, social media following and reality TV appearances, Sarah Palin begrudgingly responded when asked about her performance on The Masked Singer.
“Objection,” she said, laughing.
She said the appearance was the “most fun 90 seconds of my life.”
“It paid some bills,” she said.
Palin map with ‘crosshairs’ could also ‘look like other things’, she says
A map from Palin’s SarahPAC in March 2010. portrayed stylized crosshairs to mark Democratic-leaning districts as part of a campaign to win Republican seats in those areas.
She conceded that “they do” look like crosshairs but added that “they also look like other things you could perceive those of, like the surveyor marking and other things we have heard.”
“Those little emoji? A lot of people said yes those look like targets or sights,” she said. “A reasonable person could or would.”
The crosshairs put targets on congressional districts, including one held by then-US Rep Gabrielle Giffords.
An early draft of the New York Times editorial in question drew a comparison with a 2011 shooting in Tucson that injured the congresswoman and killed six people and noted that SarahPAC created a map with her district in crosshairs.
In the course of editing the story, then-editorial editor James Bennet added a sentence saying that “the link to political incitement was clear.”
The court is taking a break following a round of questions to Palin, who has been on the witness stand for roughly two hours so far on Thursday morning.
Palin questioned about her 2011 statement in wake of fatal Arizona shootings
New York Times attorney David Axelrod is asking Palin about her statement in the wake of the fatal 2011 shooting in Arizona, in which she wrote that “especially within hours of a tragedy unfolding, journalists and pundits should not manufacture a blood libel that serves only to incite the very hatred and violence they purport to condemn.”
Asked about the meaning of that statement, she told the court that she meant that “they should not falsely accuse anyone of well, literally, the term drawing blood, killing.”
Axelrod is trying focus on the use of the word “incite’ and to pin her down on whether she believes that journalists incited violence.
“This is your response to what journalists have already done, correct?” Axelrod asked. “Did journalists manufacture a blood libel or did they not within hours of that tragedy?”
She said she was “asking them not to.”
Palin says media targeted her in crosshairs but is not able to answer who: ‘I have years of that kind of graphic or statement or death threats’
Palin said she was speaking to “the power of the pen, the power of words, the power of those – and I’m speaking of those who have a huge platform, that very loud voice, that they have the ability to write something, whatever they want to write, that could result in inciting hatred and violence.”
Axelrod asked whether she believed any journalists or pundits ever said “go out and hunt Sarah Palin because of the crosshairs map.”
She said she believes so because she said she saw her face in crosshairs. She added that “I don’t have it in front of me, but I have years of that kind of graphic or statement or death threats.”
Palin did not contact NYT for correction before Twitter post saying she was ‘exploring options’ with an attorney
Palin said she did not contact The New York Times for a correction following the publication of a 2017 editorial before she wrote on Twitter that she was “talking to attorneys” and “exploring options” in response.
“I’m not sure I would reach out to an unfriendly recipient of what they would be receiving,” she said.
She agreed to a suggestion that one of her first reactions to the editorial was to consider a lawsuit.
“I knew something had to be done,” she told the court.
Palin does not ‘recall specifically’ talking with family about 2017 editorial after it was published
NYT attorney David Axelrod appears to try to show that Palin did not talk to family or other people close to her following the 2017 editorial’s publication in an apparent attempt to show that she did not endure damages from its errors.
“As I sit here today, in the penalty box, I don’t recall specifically” talking to family members, she said.
Palin asked whether any candidates or others have ‘shied away’ from her after NYT editorial
Asked by New York Times attorney David Axelrod whether any candidates or others have “shied away” from her in the wake of the 2017 editorial from the newspaper, which she accused of damaging her reputation, she told the court that she “can’t specifically give you any name of someone who told me that they didn’t want me to help them.”
Palin said she did not speak with doctor or take medication due to stress from editorial
Earlier today, Palin said she had trouble sleeping in the wake of the editorial. During cross examination, she said she did not seek medical support, take medication or go to counseling.
“I holistically remedy issues that are caused my stress, meaning running, hot yoga and other healthy things,” she said.
She also said she was part of a “women’s prayer group who prayed about it.”
Palin questioned about First Amendment beliefs as NYT attorney closes questioning
NYT attorney David Axelrod asked Palin a series of questions about the First Amendment, asking whether she believes that “Americans should have the right to voice their opinions” and “even if it’s an unpopular opinion,” to which she agreed.
“As long as everyone is speaking truthfully,” she added.
He added that faith in the First Amendment is that the truth will eventually win out, appearing to set the stage for arguments about the prompt correction issued by the newspaper following errors in the 2017 editorial.
Subscribe to Independent Premium to bookmark this article
Want to bookmark your favourite articles and stories to read or reference later? Start your Independent Premium subscription today.
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments