(NationalUSNews.com) — Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito has become the focus of several mainstream media outlets due to a picture of his home on January 6, 2021, which showed his front yard’s flagpole flying an upside-down United States flag. The picture immediately made national headlines, prompting some elected officials to criticize Alito for the upside-down flag display. Among the officials who’ve expressed concern about Alito is Senator Dick Durbin (D-Illinois), who has demanded that Alito recuse himself from any Supreme Court cases involving former President Donald Trump.
The primary reasoning behind Durbin’s demand relates to the meaning of an American flag flying upside-down. Over the past few years, American citizens have turned the American flag upside-down as a symbol of distress, with some comparing the action to an SOS signal. Trump supporters, in particular, have been turning their flags upside-down to protest the 2020 presidential election results, as many believe election officials engaged in election fraud, and thus the country is in crisis. Another reason for the increase in upside-down American flag sightings is the various legal battles involving Trump, which many conservatives feel stem from the White House’s political bias and weaponization of the Justice Department.
While Durbin claims the upside-down flag incident with Alito indicates a clear political bias favoring Trump, Alito shared a different story regarding the controversial symbol. According to Alito, his wife turned their flag upside-down to protest one of their neighbor’s yard decorations, which featured insulting language aimed at Alito. Durbin remains unconvinced and has publicly accused Alito of holding political bias that would prevent a fair trial involving Trump.
Alito isn’t the only Supreme Court justice facing calls for recusal. Liberal lawmakers have also targeted Justice Clarence Thomas and called for his recusal. Thomas’ wife allegedly attempted to overturn the 2020 presidential election results, raising concerns about the justice system harboring an anti-Biden sentiment. Thomas has avidly denied harboring any political bias and refused to remove himself from any cases involving Trump. If Durbin’s claims are proven true, Alito may face consequences, as the Supreme Court features strict guidelines that prevent its justices from showing any political bias or affiliation while serving the judicial body.
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