John Bolton Defends Alito, Argues He Had No Idea Upside Down Flag Was Linked to Jan. 6th: ‘Doesn’t Have Political Implications To Me!’
John Bolton defended Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito in the ongoing flag controversy, with Bolton arguing he had no idea an upside down American flag was a symbol of the Jan. 6 insurrectionists.
Alito is under fire for reports in The New York Times about two instances in which flags that the articles characterized as symbols of the insurrection were flown outside of his homes: one was an upside down American flag, the other was a flag from the Revolutionary War adopted by the insurrectionists. Alito has pinned the responsibility for flying the flags on his wife.
“I first heard of the upside down American flag as being a Jan. 6 symbol when I read about it in The New York Times about a week ago,” Bolton told CNN’s Wolf Blitzer. “I had no idea what was going on in Justice Alito’s wife’s mind when she flew it, but if somebody hadn’t told me that they thought it was a symbol of the Jan. 6 people, I wouldn’t have guessed it. I would have thought maybe she was giving the finger to one of her neighbors, and that may not be appropriate, either.”
Bolton continued:
BOLTON: But, I’m telling you, it’s getting to a point where people trying to take symbols of American patriotism and turn them against Supreme Court Justices is just over the line!
BLITZER: But should a U.S. Supreme Court justice be using these flags that clearly, right now at least, have some political implications, as well as some history there. But, currently, they have political implications. Should a U.S. Supreme Court justice —
BOLTON: They do not! That’s just wrong! That is just wrong!
BLITZER: Well, they do have political implications, both of these flags.
BOLTON: It can’t — you — well, they don’t have political implications to me!
BLITZER: And they’re involved in Jan. 6.
BOLTON: A lot of things were used by Jan. 6!
BLITZER: Turning the U.S. flag upside down was used by those who supported the insurrection, as you know, and this other flag —
BOLTON: No! I did not know that! I didn’t know that ’til I read it in The New York Times!
BLITZER: Well, a lot of people did know that, and that’s why it’s controversial. Here’s the bottom line —
BOLTON: Well, it’s controversial for liberals! No, listen, Wolf! It’s controversial for liberals who have it in for Sam Alito. It’s not controversial for me, and I’m as against Donald Trump as anybody I know in this country.
BLITZER: So, bottom line, as far as you’re concerned, he should not recuse himself for the sake of the country?
BOLTON: Wolf, that’s an unfair question. He should certainly not recuse himself, there’s no indication it was intended to support January the 6th, and I’ll tell you, those who are using this tactic against Alito now, it will come back to haunt them.
Bolton added, “It’s an American patriotic flag. I support the right of anybody to fly it, period!”
Watch the clip above via CNN.
