A new report revealed that Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito displayed an upside-down U.S. flag — a symbol adopted by supporters of Donald Trump challenging Joe Biden’s 2020 election win — outside his home in 2021.
A photo of the upside-down flag, which was reportedly seen at Alito’s residence in Alexandria, Va., in January, was obtained by The New York Times and included in the article published Thursday.
It’s currently unclear how long the flag was displayed outside his home.
“I had no involvement whatsoever in the flying of the flag,” Alito told 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.”
This discovery is likely to intensify calls for the 74-year-old justice to step back from several major cases currently before the court, including one surrounding whether Trump can claim immunity in the Jan. 6, 2021 attack on the U.S. Capitol.
Alito is considered one of the court’s most conservative justices and played a large role in the overturning of Roe v. Wade in 2021.
In the aftermath of the 2020 election lost by former President Donald Trump, some of his supporters adopted an upside-down U.S. flag as a symbol of their “Stop the Steal” movement, which falsely claimed President Biden stole the contest.
Justice Clarence Thomas has also faced calls for recusal in election-related cases after his wife admitted to supporting efforts to challenge the election results, as well as attending Trump’s rally before the Capitol attack.
Thomas dismissed the accusations against him as “nastiness” and “lies” during a recent conference in Alabama.
Both Thomas and Alito have come under scrutiny for allegedly failing to disclose certain trips and expenses during their time on the highest court in the land.
