The New York Times published an exposé this week revealing that Justice Samuel Alito’s home in the Washington, D.C. area displayed an upside-down flag in the days following the U.S. Capitol riot on Jan. 6, 2021.
Traditionally, an upside-down American flag is a sign of distress. However, it was also used by pro-Trump rioters as a symbol to challenge the legitimacy of Joe Biden’s 2020 victory.
As The New York Times’ Jodi Kantor wrote:
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.
Yet, Alito has a different story. He told Fox News’ Shannon Bream on Friday that his wife flew the flag upside down in frustration during a dispute with a neighbor who called her the c-word after she asked him to take down a sign that said “F**k Trump.”
(H/T Mediaite)
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Patrick Houck is an avid political enthusiast based out of the Washington, D.C., metro area. His expertise is in campaigns and the use of targeted messaging to persuade voters. When not combing through the latest news, you can find him enjoying the company of family and friends or pursuing his love of photography.
