Track Palin: 5 Fast Facts You Need to Know

Track Palin Facebook page

Track Palin pictured in 2008. (Getty)

Just hours before his mother officially endorsed Donald Trump for president, Sarah Palin’s oldest son was arrested and accused of a drunken assault in Alaska. The incident occurred in the city of Wasilla where Track Palin, 26, was charged with assault, interfering with a report of domestic violence and possession of a weapon while intoxicated on January 18. He made his first appearance in court on January 19. In a statement to the New York Daily News, Wasilla police said, “An investigation revealed Track Palin had committed a domestic assault on a female, interfered with her ability to report a crime of domestic violence, and possessed a firearm while intoxicated. Palin was held without bail until arraignment.”

The New York Times later reported that both Track and his girlfriend called 911 after the two had been out partying. When officers arrived at the home, Track was belligerent and had to be handcuffed. His girlfriend was found under her bed with injuries to her eye. She told cops that Track had hit her. She added that Track then cocked a gun and put it against his head saying, “Do you think I won’t do it?”

Here’s what you need to know:


1. His Mother Blamed Track’s Arrest on President Obama

Track Palin Iraq

Sarah Palin speaks during the deployment ceremony for the US Army’s 1st Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 25th Infantry Division at Fort Wainwright, Alaska, on September 11, 2008. Palin’s son, Pvt. 1st Class Track Palin, was a member of the 4,000-soldier brigade, which went to Iraq for a 12-month deployment. (Getty)

In a speech in Tulsa, Oklahoma, Sarah Palin told a crowd that she would address the “elephant in the room,” reports Politico. Governor Palin blamed her son’s action on PTSD and said that President Obama had neglected veterans.

Track Palin was an Army reservist who performed a tour of duty in Iraq in 2008. A U.S. News report about his time on the frontline detailed that he was to provide “air guard,” providing protection for a Stryker vehicle. His commanding officer, Col. Burt Thompson, told U.S. News, “He’s a good kid and a good soldier and he’d like to remain anonymous.” Thompson was the commander of the Alaska-based 25th Infantry Division’s 1st Stryker Brigade Combat Team, known as the “Arctic Wolves.” During the 2008 presidential election, an ABC News report accused Palin of “politicizing” her son’s military service.


2. He Was the Most Injured Palin During Their 2014 Drunken Brawl

In October 2014, the Palin family were involved in an infamous drunken brawl at one of their friend’s homes. The brawl included, according to CNN, Track Palin trying to start a fight with his father, Todd. The network’s report, citing official documents, said that Track was “shirtless,” “heavily intoxicated” and “belligerent at first.” The fight happened at a party thrown at the home of Palin friend Korey Klingenmeyer. Track told officers that the fight broke out when some of the party guests began “talking rudely” about some of the Palin sisters. The eldest Palin left the fight with the worst damage: a bloody mouth, black eye and an elbow injury.


3. When He Divorced His Wife, Track Got the Guns, She Got Their Baby

TMZ reported in December 2012 that Track and his ex-wife, Britta, were filing for divorce, having been married the year previous. The couple have a daughter, Kyla, who was 1 year old at the time of the split. The gossip site notes that the divorce appeared amicable as the two filed together for the separation. They were, however, subjected to watching a documentary on how a failed marriage can affect the life of a child. A later report from TMZ showed that Track had kept a majority of the couple’s possessions and wealth, including guns, while Britta got physical custody of Kyla.


4. He Was Widely Rumored to Have Cut the Brake Lines of a School Bus When He Was 16

In 2005, Track was accused along with three other teenagers of cutting the brake line of a school bus in Wasilla. The incident was reported on a local news broadcast in Anchorage (video is above). The Frontiersman newspaper reported at the time that four teenagers had stolen a bottle of vodka from a liquor store and gone on a vandalism spree. Political conspiracy theorists reckoned that Track avoided jail time by enlisting in the U.S. Army. Col. Thompson downplayed that rumor in the U.S. News report from October 2008, calling it “balderdash.”

During Palin’s run for vice president in 2008, the National Enquirer reported that Track had been suffering from an addiction to Oxycontin.


5. Despite Her Son’s Arrest, Sarah Palin Appeared With Donald Trump at an Iowa Rally on January 19

On January 19, former Alaska Governor Sarah Palin ended months of speculation by announcing that she was endorsing Donald Trump for president. In a simple statement, Palin said, “I’m proud to endorse Donald J. Trump for president.” In response, Trump said, “I am greatly honored to receive Sarah’s endorsement. She is a friend, and a high-quality person whom I have great respect for. I am proud to have her support.” One commenter, Ralph Reed, of the Faith and Freedom coalition, told the New York Times:

Palin’s brand among evangelicals is as gold as the faucets in Trump tower. Endorsements alone don’t guarantee victory, but Palin’s embrace of Trump may turn the fight over the evangelical vote into a war for the soul of the party.

Later on January 19, Palin appeared with Trump at a rally in Iowa.

Despite his mother’s traditional conservative views, Sarah Palin was pregnant with Track when she married Todd Palin in August 1988, according to a report from Fox News liberal pundit Alan Colmes.