‘Stop the Steal’ Flag Flew Outside Justice Samuel Alito’s Home After Jan 6th, Per Stunning NY Times Report
(AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana)
Passers-by of Justice Samuel Alito’s home in the Washington D.C. suburb of Alexandria saw an upside-down flag flying on its flagpole in the days that followed the riots of January 6th. Not only is an upside-down flag seen as a sign of distress, but it was also used by pro-Trump rioters to symbolize the “Stop the Steal” movement led by former President Donald Trump.
Of course, after the 2020 election, Trump falsely convinced his supporters that President Joe Biden and some deep state conspiracy had stolen the election, which, of course, led to the deadly riots of January 6th. The Supreme Court is set to decide on several cases involving the events surrounding this day and whether Trump is immune to criminal charges for his alleged role.
Reporting for the New York Times, Jodi Kantor writes:
One of the homes flying an inverted flag during that time was the residence of Supreme Court Justice Samuel A. Alito Jr., in Alexandria, Va., according to photographs and interviews with neighbors.
The upside-down flag was aloft on Jan. 17, 2021, the images showed. President Donald J. Trump’s supporters, including some brandishing the same symbol, had rioted at the Capitol a little over a week before. Mr. Biden’s inauguration was three days away. Alarmed neighbors snapped photographs, some of which were recently obtained by The New York Times. Word of the flag filtered back to the court, people who worked there said in interviews.
While the flag was up, the court was still contending with whether to hear a 2020 election case, with Justice Alito on the losing end of that decision. In coming weeks, the justices will rule on two climactic cases involving the storming of the Capitol on Jan. 6, including whether Mr. Trump has immunity for his actions. Their decisions will shape how accountable he can be held for trying to overturn the last presidential election and his chances for re-election in the upcoming one.
“I had no involvement whatsoever in the flying of the flag; it was briefly placed by Mrs. Alito in response to a neighbor’s use of objectionable and personally insulting language on yard signs,” Alito explained in an email to the New York Times as reported by Kantor.
The stunning report even comes with a photo of the “Stop the Steal” flag flying outside the Alito home, which you can see here:
New: Days after Jan. 6, just before Biden’s inauguration, and while the Supreme Court was still contending with a 2020 election case, the Alito home flew a “Stop the Steal” symbol: an upside-down American flag. https://t.co/PlKUAAbu3f
— Jodi Kantor (@jodikantor) May 16, 2024
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Why is this a big deal? Kantor elegantly sums up the issue at hand, writing, “Judicial experts said in interviews that the flag was a clear violation of ethics rules, which seek to avoid even the appearance of bias, and could sow doubt about Justice Alito’s impartiality in cases related to the election and the Capitol riot.”
Justice Alito also raised eyebrows when he appeared to mouth the words “not true” during former President Barack Obama’s State of the Union speech, which many see as a violation of a pledge to remain politically neutral.
