THROWBACK THURSDAY: Sarah Palin resigns as Alaska governor

It’s been nine years to the day since former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin officially stepped down from office, shocking political analysts and the Republican establishment.

At the press conference announcing her decision, Palin said that she had been thinking about resigning for a while, and that “I’m not wired to operate under the same old politics as usual.”

In addition, ABC News reported at the time that Palin was facing multiple ethics complaints, resulting in high legal fees and sinking poll numbers. Despite that, many political analysts were left confused by Palin’s decision to step down before the end of her first and only term.

After leaving office, Palin continued to speak and campaign for Republican candidates around the country, including endorsing then candidate-Donald Trump two weeks before the 2016 Iowa Caucuses.

Palin was the first female governor of Alaska, and also the youngest person to ever be elected as the state’s chief executive. She rose to national prominence after Sen. John McCain picked her to be his running mate in the 2008 presidential election.