MIAMI, Florida — Former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin canceled an event she had planned for 2016 GOP presidential frontrunner Donald Trump in Central Florida today after her husband, Todd Palin, suffered a serious crash on a snow machine on Sunday evening and has been hospitalized.
Palin is among many of the high profile Republicans backing Trump for president. A source close to the Palin family told Breitbart News:
Todd Palin in a very serious snow machine crash last night, currently hospitalized in intensive care. Governor Palin has been on the phone with doctors and family all morning — booked best of limited flights back to Alaska via Tampa — will stop by Trump Tampa town hall on way to airport and not travel to Ohio or The Villages as planned. Have been in touch with the Trump campaign who have been fantastically understanding as always that family comes first!
Trump is doing a 2 p.m. rally in Tampa, and according to this source close to the Palin family, she will make a stop there on the way to her flight.
The Trump campaign announced the cancellation of the event at 11:53 a.m., but didn’t originally say why.
“The event scheduled for Governor Sarah Palin to take place today in The Villages, Florida at 12:00 PM, has been cancelled,” the Trump campaign said. “Governor Palin wishes her best to Mr. Trump in the upcoming primaries.”
In a subsequent statement, the Trump campaign detailed that Mr. Trump’s thoughts and prayers are with Todd and Sarah Palin right now.
“Todd Palin was in a bad snow machine accident last night and is currently hospitalized,” the Trump campaign said at 12:45 p.m. “Governor Palin is returning to Alaska to be with her husband and looks forward to being back on the campaign trail soon. Mr. Trump’s thoughts and prayers are with the Palin family at this time.”
Several people in the media mocked the original announcement.
“‘Governor Palin wishes her best to Mr. Trump in the upcoming primaries,’ Palin news release says,” Jennifer Jacobs from the Des Moines Register tweeted. “That sounds like a break up.”
“7 minutes before start time, Sarah Palin cancels noon Trump rally in The Villages. So many media stuck in FL hinterlands of Sumter County,” Politico’s Marc Caputo wrote.
The Tampa Bay Times’ Alex Leary called it an “odd news release.”
“Sarah Palin’s event in The Villages, Florida, is canceled today. No word on whether elderly protester were a contributing factor,” Boston Globe reporter Matt Viser wrote.
UPDATE 3:00 A.M. ET
A statement on Gov. Palin’s Facebook page early Tuesday described the condition of Todd.
“Todd Palin is in intensive care at an Alaskan hospital with injuries including multiple broken and fractured ribs, broken shoulder blade, broken clavicle, knee/leg injuries; and a collapsed lung,” the statement reads. “He is presently back in surgery to repair multiple fractures. Thank you for your prayers for a speedy recovery. We, as his wife and children, appreciate your respect for our privacy during this time. Knowing Todd, once he’s cognizant, he’ll probably ask docs to duct tape him up and he’ll call it good. He’s tough.”