Justice Alito's home flew flag upside down after Trump's 'Stop the Steal' claims, report says
S E E D E D C O N T E N T
W ASHINGTON (AP) — An upside-down American flag, a symbol associated with former President Donald Trump’s false claims of election fraud, was displayed outside the home of Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito in January 2021, The New York Times reported Thursday.
A photo obtained and published by the newspaper shows the flag flying on Jan. 17, 2021, days after Trump supporters stormed the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021 . Dozens of the rioters were carrying similarly inverted flags and chanting slogans like “Stop the Steal.”
The report could raise concerns about Alito’s impartiality as the court considers two major cases related to the attack, including charges faced by the rioters and whether Trump has immunity from prosecution on election interference charges.
It comes as another conservative justice, Clarence Thomas, has ignored calls to recuse himself from cases related to the 2020 election over his wife, Ginni Thomas’, support for Trump and as public trust in the Supreme Court is at its lowest point in at least 50 years. Judicial experts said the flag clearly violates ethics rules set to avoid even the appearance of bias.
At the time the flag was flying, the court was still considering whether to take up cases over the 2020 election. It ultimately rejected them over dissent from three conservative justices, including Alito, who was appointed by Republican President George W. Bush. He wrote that the court’s consideration of the cases would have no impact on the 2020 election but “would provide invaluable guidance for future elections.”
Alito, for his part, acknowledged the presence of the flag at his home in Alexandria, Virginia, but said it was placed there by his wife.
“I had no involvement whatsoever in the flying of the flag,” Alito said in an emailed statement to the newspaper. “It was briefly placed by Mrs. Alito in response to a neighbor’s use of objectionable and personally insulting language on yard signs.”
Martha-Ann Alito had been in a dispute with another family in the neighborhood over an anti-Trump sign on their lawn, and neighbors also interpreted the flag as a political statement, the Times reported. It isn’t clear how long the flag was flying.
Judicial ethics codes focus on the need for judges to be independent, avoiding political statements or opinions on matters they could be called on to decide. The Supreme Court had long gone without its own code of ethics , but adopted one in November 2023 in the face of sustained criticism over undisclosed trips and gifts from wealthy benefactors to some justices. The code lacks a means of enforcement, however.
Amanda Frost, a law professor at the University of Virginia, told the newspaper that flying the flag upside down is “the equivalent of putting a ‘Stop the Steal’ sign in your yard, which is a problem if you’re deciding election-related cases."
Even if it was placed by his spouse or someone else living in the home, “he shouldn’t have it in his yard as his message to the world,” she said.
The Supreme Court has warned its own employees about public displays indicating partisan leanings, the newspaper reported. The court did not respond to questions about whether those rules apply to justices.
The U.S. Flag Code states that the American flag is not to be flown upside down “except as a signal of dire distress in instance of extreme danger to life or property.” It has been used as a protest symbol on both the left and the right on a range of issues over the decades. It took off as a symbol of Trump's “Stop the Steal” campaign as he spread false claims that the election he lost to President Joe Biden had been stolen.
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Alito needs to resign or be impeached. Tomorrow.
He is a traitor.
lol.
A traitor? How so?
This was post Jan 6th.
That's funny, that's not what I was taught.
An "attorney" who obviously doesn't know how to read the laws/regulations - but, she fits the Biden side of the coin.
Only by TDS driven psychopaths
anyone who supports the former 'president', like Alito, is a traitor, and culpable in 1/6
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He would be treated more kindly if he had burned it.
Exactly what I was thinking. Or pulled it down and put up a Hamas or Palestinian flag.
The cheese has done and slipped completely off some folks crackers.
That is about the loosest definition of traitor I have ever seen.
The right's racism, they don't even try to hide it. Such cockroaches.
Alito says it was ok for his home to display common cause with traitors because it was his wife's idea. As if that makes it ok.
He should resign, so the Court can inch toward respect again.
"I had no involvement whatsoever in the flying of the flag," Justice Alito said in an emailed statement to The Times. "It was briefly placed by Mrs. Alito in response to a neighbor's use of objectionable and personally
insulting language on yard signs."
impeach him for having a wife who thinks and acts on her own scream the progressives.
He allowed it.
Exactly. Impeach him for not controlling his woman. How dare a mere woman make any sort of statement without her husband's involvement and permission. Democrats know how to handle women, silent and submissive to their husbands, eh?
You need better excuses than these.
What excuses? you want him impeached for something his wife did because he didn't control her.
That's the sum of your argument. He has the duty to stop her from expressing an opinion and should be punished for not keeping her quiet. (and that's not even mentioning there's no evidence as to what she was protesting other than her neighbors personal attacks).
So what?
His wife put it out. Again, you want him impeached for something his wife did because he didn't control her to your satisfaction.
It his her house and flagpole just as much as it is his. If she wants to protest her neighbors, so what? .
I want him impeached because he is a traitor.
And your evidence is he failed to muzzle his wife, like you apparently believe is his legal obligation.
I was surprised at such an average house for the area and his position.
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just like Clarence complained about, 'show me the mutha fckn money' !
Pretty pathetic imho, to see two posters rightfully concerned, whilevthe 'righties' figure it was better 'burned', i think i saw. Now I don't think anyone here, even far far 'right', actually think what he, or she, or whomever did run that upside down UNITED STATES OF AMERICA FLAG upside down up the flagpole that sits on a, as you observed, modest looking humble abode, wasn't dead wrong, cause they were.
I would cut Alito a little slack if it was up for only one day, he came home, explained to ole wifey poo, this is something that we can not do. As we are in a position where our biases and Constitution Objections must be kept on the down low till back to the Supreme Court it is I go, and from there institute and wield my supposed non political views, but, i guess you and ole Ginny were tipping back a few too many Manhattans , and instead of running your undies up this time , went with the old inverted Glory, and of course it was only so the dyslexic crowd could be aware, that something about this stolen election was not fair, but I digress, and gladd you did get re adressed. No more of these Shannan gams sugar plum, someone might get the idea that i'm not fair and balanced, you know, like Fox'news' , so run along , get your buns back in that kitchen bitch !
But for DAYS this Flag was inverted....Someone gots some explaining to do, besides Lucy !
So we disagree with you and we are "tagged" as trolls??
Sorry you can't handle it - as YOU tell so many on NT.
just curious, does it not bother you at all, that a Supreme Court Justice residence, flew this dyslexic tribute for a few daze ...?
The news stories about this say the inverted flag was up for days, so the "my wife did it " excuse is worthless. If the flag was the depiction of Nancy Reagan being fucked by a dog would Alito let it stay up there because "my wife" put it up there?
Their excuses are absurd but we live in an absurd country.
Trying to get rid of the "conservative" justices one justice at a time. Maybe drinking beer is an impeachable offense next.
In total agreement with that. Find a few here, i wouldn't of thought, but wtf do i know anymore....
Not at all, I really don't care. It is entertaining to watch some folks and maybe some media get their panties in a twist over it though.
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thats odd, doesn't sound like one right down the center would be entertained by, but you silly kids go and do your thing, cause nothng wrong with a SCJ letting his old lady and her freak flag fly high, but is there...?
No
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like ginny, I mean clarence?
I like your style
what style...? I'm a fashion statement known as a question mark, with an exclamation point to be made by one weigh ore another, which ever is lighter, i'll match.
To quote one of your own:
Elections have consequences.
Starting already, eh John?? WHERE does/did Alito say "it was ok for his home to display common cause with traitors"???? (your first invalid point among others)
So, the guys in 'Nam who flew upside down flags and died while fighting for "your" right to protest were traitors? (Next time I go to the Wall, make sure you let me know which ones I get to spit on, OK?)
Betcha probably say the same thing for those in Afghanistan who did/do the same action?
Or those at Wounded Knee who were being killed by U. S. "employees" in 1973 - traitors also, eh?
If it offends you, you're telling the rest of us that it is treason - sad - really sad.
Spot on brother, spot on.
When I saw this headline in the New York Times late Thursday, a lot of different things ran through my mind. First, I wondered who had gotten through security to rig the flag at the Justice’s home. Then, as I read the story's opening lines, I figured the photo had to be a deep fake.
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Here’s what I did not anticipate: that in January of 2021— for several days around January 17th, to be precise, both after the insurrection on the sixth and while the Supreme Court was still considering whether to hear an election-related case—the inverted flag associated with the “Stop the Steal” movement was flying on a flagpole on Justice Alito’s lawn.
We know it’s true because Justice Alito blamed his wife when asked. As though a sitting Supreme Court Justice, upon pulling up to his home and seeing the flag, wouldn’t immediately take it down and say, “Honey, I understand your feelings, but as a Justice on the United States Supreme Court, I must avoid even the appearance of impropriety, and that flag conveys a political sentiment that is an affront to the rule of law I’m sworn to uphold, especially after rioters carrying it swarmed the Capitol a week and a half ago.”
The Times reported that Alito emailed the following statement to them when asked for comment: “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.”
I have spent a good bit of time in my life around Judges. My Father-in-Law was a federal judge, my Husband was a state court judge, and I have a number of close friends on the bench. I am certain that none of their spouses or other family members would have even considered placing a political symbol like this in their front yard because they would have understood the rules, just like I did. And the rules are, you don’t do that. At the time the Alito’s flew the flag in front of their house, the Court was deciding whether to hear a vote-counting challenge from Pennsylvania. The majority said no, but Justice Alito, joined by Thomas, dissented . They wanted the Court to take the case, whose theme, in brief, was that the Pennsylvania election had been stolen—stop the steal.
You can hardly blame the folks who saw the flag flying at the Alito’s home and decided it had to be brought to the Court’s attention. Surprisingly, it’s taken this long to become public. The Times reported that the half-dozen or so neighbors who were aware of it asked to remain anonymous because they “feared reprisal.” Let that sink in as we contemplate what a second Trump term in office might look like.
The ethics rules that apply to all of the lower federal court judges in this country are similar to those I’m used to as a former DOJ employee. No political signs in front of your house, not bumper stickers on your car. It’s not complicated. If you’re committed to serving the people and ensuring they have confidence in the fair administration of justice, you just don’t. But Sam Alito did.
ty[ical CONservative, blame his wife
Actually, flying the national flag upside down does have a meaning, doing so is a sign of distress and help is needed, and should only be done so in that instance , not for political reasons.
As far as I know, doing so otherwise isn't even chargeable , let alone impeachable, but people are entitled to their opinions , even if they are wrong.
What do you think the consequences should be for Alito flying a flag associated with the J6 traitors ?
First it has to be determined who did it , it's claimed it was his wife and not the judge himself.
As I said it's not even a chargeable thing , and likely would be ruled as freedom of speech issue on the wife's part.
So actually not a fooken thing can be done . And those with a different opinion will just have to live with it.
And did I miss something? was a flag other than the US national flag flown?
Or are you relying on that partisan hack law professors interpretation of what it meant, though I have stated the correct reason to fly a flag that way?
It has been said sometimes it is better to just let people THINK one is an IDIOT, than to opens ones mouth and remove all doubt.
That law prof and those that subscribe to her interpretation have removed all doubt from people's minds.
With that, 15 seconds of NT fame, is 15 secs too much.
Flying the flag upside down is not a high crime or misdemeanor. Good luck with getting him impeached!
He is not a traitor of course, and neither is Trump.
Oh bullshit. That flag upside down was flown by several butthurts after Trump was elected signifying that the country was in distress. Pussies and pussy hats ensued.
Absolutely nothing.
Thinking otherwise is just showing partisan picayune bullshit.
None, freedom of speech.
Gee, how profound
Alito is a traitor, plain and simple
The whole thing is ridiculous. Sould we say voting for a particular party means there is a bias. Might as well dissolve the court now.
Great in depth analysis
Are you gonna go down to 9.1 and then call everybody listed there a traitor also?
He could have copped a new as his wife raised the colors.
DoW, hot stock tip, buy stock in the company/s that make vagisil and prep H, gonna be a lot of irritated pussies and butthurt people over the next 6-8 months.
"The upside-down American flag is a symbol laden with historical context and contemporary relevance. While some may view it as a gesture of disrespect, it often serves as a powerful means of communication, drawing attention to issues of critical importance. Understanding the symbolism, legality, and historical roots of this practice is essential for appreciating the complexities of American expression and dissent.
In a nation founded on principles of free speech and the right to protest, the upside-down American flag remains a poignant symbol of both unity and dissent in the pursuit of a more just and equitable society. It serves as a reminder that the flag is not just a piece of cloth but a symbol of the ideals and values that Americans hold dear—ideals that sometimes require people to speak out and demand change when they believe those values are in jeopardy.
At the same time, it is important to remember that displaying the American flag upside down can be a controversial action that carries social and political consequences. It is an act that must be done thoughtfully and with respect for the nation and its founding principles. Ultimately, understanding this complicated symbol—and being mindful of its implications—is essential for any effort to foster meaningful dialogue in modern America."
Stars and Stripes: What Does an Upside Down American Flag Mean? - The True Colors
… and TOTALLY inappropriate to be displayed on the property of a Supreme Court Justice. It’s wholly political, and there’s no justification for that. It goes against everything in our judicial system.
Imagine if the communist flag, or the Hamas flag, had been discovered to have been flying over Kamala Harris' house for days or weeks.
Would she be allowed to blame it on her husband ? LOL, it would be on Fox News 24/7.
The comments from the right on this seed are almost all ludicrous, but I dont have the energy anymore to deal with them one by one. This is what Newstalkers has become.
God Help America.
Apples and spare tires comparison. The upside down flag, as you have been shown REPEATEDLY on this story, has one meaning and it isn't "God save the the J6'ers" or "Stop the Steal". It signifies a country in distress. And as I pointed out above, was used against Trump's election aftermath.
ASHINGTON − An upside-down American flag – a symbol connected with false claims that the 2020 election was stolen from former President Donald Trump − flew at the home of Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito after the election, the New York Times reported Thursday.
Alito and the upside down flag: What the symbol means to 'stop the steal' crowd (msn.com)
I don't give a fuck what it means to the stop the steal fools. That is your interpretation and it is NOT fucking connected. Even in the picture you posted of the J6 protesters, it signified that some, or someone, thought that the election of Biden was a fucking mistake and the country truly would see distress.........after all. We were still hot into covid too.
From your link...............
The comments from the right on this seed are almost all ludicrous
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100%
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How outraged were you when Ginsburg (the actual justice, not a spouse) personally attacked Trump in the media on numerous occasions?
You cant imagine any reason to "attack" Trump other than political ones ?
Bug,ever get to meet Bruce?
He definitely was NOT left wing.
if you think my recent posts have been unfiltered, his would have had you having an apoplectic fit.
As John said , he leans right , not left, but anyone that leans right is extreme to John.
I do miss his presence on site, but we all, or most of us have lives outside of it.
May he have fair weather and following seas.
Bruce was as right as one can get but he was also a damn good historian. He and I agreed on very little, but we had some great discussions on history especially of the US and the Indian wars.
He was a submariner for a number of years and I was a paratrooper so we that to fight about, actually service rivalry not fighting. We lived fairly close to one another and one time I stopped by his work on my way back from St. Louis and we had a coffee together and a fun discussion. Strange for two people who were from different ends of the political spectrum.
His wife became quite ill and that was a huge worry for him and I believe it was one of the reasons that he is no longer here.
One of his good points was he was a dog lover and had a pack of them, many were rescues. He was also a great model builder, professional level.
How outraged were you when Ginsburg (the actual justice, not a spouse) personally attacked Trump in the media on numerous occasions?
Attacking Trump is hardly being political, considering that Trump has no political agenda, only personal agendas that he uses politics to bend towards his will. He’s pro-choice when it suits him, and subsequently pro-life when it serves him. He’s a very thinly veiled racist that pretends that “the blacks” love him or at least should love him. He rails against vote by mail but would embrace it whole heartedly if his supporters couldn’t get to the polls. He’s the fakest motherfucker on earth and deserves to be roundly condemned as a human being by any human with a conscience, judges and justices included.
I had heard about his wife , but felt it wasnt for me to mention , i agree he was a damn good historian , of course being a vet i instantly liked him .
I do remember what hal mentioned about a new influx going to hit the site , be it left or right , and i remember him being concerned about the site moderation as well before he left .
i remember coming over from newsvine before they went nations and then going tits up and him and neale being some of the first ones on site i got to know .
I simply desired to point out to bugsy , he wasnt a left winger , and nor did he desire an echo chamber of any sort .
I understood that right off, Mark. I just wanted to add a bit about him to give the members that didn't know him some insight.
Ah, Neale he was a hoot as well, miss him a lot.
some of us have been on site for quite some time, in and out , near as i can remember i have been coming in i think 12 or 14 yrs , about 6 months less than john .
I remember Jerry V , dowser , sister mary amplebottomshe even kissed me once with her stogie in , , and a few others that either stopped coming in or have sadly passed . ,
This is funny actually. Had this been say Bader Ginsberg in protest of Trump winning the election, many of you would be praising the action.
Bottom line. SCOTUS justices still have constitutional rights and while some may consider this expression distasteful, myself included, he is free to express his opinion. Just like we all are.
The hypocrisy of the left is no longer surprising, the same party that has been screaming that republicans want to take away women’s rights are demanding that Supreme Court justices take away their wives rights.
It’s not most of them. Only a minority. The chronically loud, butthurt, whiny little bitch component of the Democrat party.
Two questions:
Does flying a flag upside down only mean one believes the 2020 election stolen?
Who took that picture?
How Flying the American Flag Upside Down Became a Bipartisan Act of Rebellion (people.com)
ACcording to the U.S. Flag Code , flying the American flag upside down is only meant to be done "as a signal of dire distress in instances of extreme danger to life or property."
These days, however, hanging the Stars and Stripes upside down is seen as more of a symbol — a symbol Republicans and Democrats alike are beginning to use more and more.
What does it mean when an American flag is upside down?
Since June 2022, progressive activists have begun flying their flags upside down, particularly in the wake of the Supreme Court decision to overturn the landmark abortion case, Roe v. Wade .
Months later — amid fury over the FBI's search of Donald Trump 's Mar-a-Lago residence on Aug. 8, 2022 — it became a symbol used by the former president's most loyal allies.
That same day, controversial Georgia Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene tweeted an upside-down American flag with no words , sandwiched by posts comparing the "rogue" United States to a communist country and calling to "DEFUND THE FBI!"
Greene's use of the upside-down flag is one of a string of instances in which pro-Trump Republicans have described the country in decidedly un-American terms.
Phrases like " banana republic " and "tyranny" were used to characterize the state of the U.S. following news that the FBI executed a federal search warrant at Trump's home.
Talks of a looming "civil war" have also cropped up on Trump message boards (and by Greene herself, who tweeted that she was leaning into such discourse within the Republican Party, hinting that events reflected a country at war with itself).
" I've talked a lot about the civil war in the GOP and I lean into it because America needs fearless & effective Republicans to finally put America First," Greene wrote on X (formerly Twitter) on Aug. 9, 2022. "Last night's tyrannical FBI raid at [Mar-a-Lago] is unifying us in ways I haven't seen. In January, we take on the enemy within."
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Using an upside-down flag to protest the search of Mar-a-Lago is particularly interesting for a staunch ally of Trump, considering the former president has cast himself as a protector of the Stars and Stripes.
He's been previously seen theatrically embracing and kissing American flags at events. In November 2016, he tweeted that "there must be consequences" for those who burn the flag, like having their citizenship revoked or spending a year in jail.
With both sides embracing a rotation of the flag in times of frustration, upside-down U.S. flags will require some context clues to determine their message. Whether it's expressing fear that human rights are being stripped away , or expressing distrust in a governmental process, it's safe to assume that some form of distress is involved.
Thank you, Sir.
So, there could be many reasons.
One question answered.
Meta cleaned up @6.1