Flags that have flown outside Alito's homes without his knowledge or consent include an upside-down American flag at his Alexandria, Virginia home and another unidentified flag at his New Jersey residence
Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito is facing calls for recusal in two major cases related to the 2020 presidential election and the Jan. 6 Capitol riot
Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito is facing calls for recusal in two major cases related to the 2020 presidential election and the Jan. 6 Capitol riot due to flags that have flown outside his homes without his knowledge or consent. An upside-down American flag was reportedly seen at Alito's home in Alexandria, Virginia, and an
Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito will not recuse from cases involving the 2020 presidential election or January 6, 2021, despite concerns about controversial flags that have flown on his properties.
Alito stated in a letter that he had no involvement in the flying of an upside-down US flag at his Alexandria, Virginia home and blamed his wife for the decision.
Accuracy
An upside-down American flag was seen at Alito’s home in Alexandria, Virginia, less than two weeks after the Capitol attack in 2021.
Deception
(100%)
None Found At Time Of
Publication
Fallacies
(95%)
The author is reporting on the statements made by Justice Alito regarding his decision not to recuse from Supreme Court cases despite concerns over controversial flags at his properties. The author does not make any fallacious arguments or appeals to authority in this article. However, there are a few instances of inflammatory rhetoric used by Alito himself when describing the neighborhood dispute that led to the flying of the flag. This reduces the score slightly.
Justice Samuel Alito is rejecting calls to recuse from Supreme Court cases involving former President Donald Trump and Jan. 6 defendants due to flag controversies over flags flying over his homes.
An upside-down American flag was seen at Alito’s home in Alexandria, Virginia, less than two weeks after the Capitol attack in 2021.
An ‘Appeal to Heaven’ flag was flown outside of Alito’s beach house in New Jersey last summer.
Accuracy
]An upside-down American flag was seen at Alito's home in Alexandria, Virginia[
An upside-down American flag was reported to have flown outside Alito's Virginia residence
The Appeal to Heaven flag, which bears a pine tree on a white background with its titular slogan, was taken down from San Francisco’s Civic Center Plaza.
The flag was originally raised in 1964 to commemorate ‘a key moment in or symbol in American history’.
City officials took down the flag due to its association with a group that doesn’t represent San Francisco’s values.
Accuracy
The flag was taken down due to its association with a group that doesn’t represent San Francisco’s values.
Justice Alito had nothing to do with the flying of either flag and neither he nor his wife knew of their meanings.
Deception
(80%)
The article provides context about the history of the 'Appeal to Heaven' flag and its significance in American history. However, it also mentions that the flag has been adopted by a group that doesn't represent the city's values due to its recent association with far-right groups and their actions, such as the Jan. 6 insurrection. This is an example of selective reporting as the article only reports details that support its position of removing the flag from Civic Center Plaza, while omitting any counterarguments or context that might challenge this view. The author also makes a statement about how elected officials could see the flag waving through City Hall windows and it was displayed atop a building in Jackson Square, which is an attempt to evoke an emotional response from readers and manipulate their perception of the situation.
Despite simmering tension over the pine tree and the ‘Appeal to Heaven’ epigraph, the flag still had prominent placement in deep-blue San Francisco as recently as last week. Not only could elected officials see it waving through City Hall windows that overlook the plaza, but it was also displayed atop the Canessa Printing Co. building in posh Jackson Square, to the shock of passersby and at least one merchant who successfully pressed for its removal.
It has since been adopted by a different group – one that doesn’t represent the city’s values.
Fallacies
(100%)
None Found At Time Of
Publication
Bias
(95%)
The author makes it clear that the 'Appeal to Heaven' flag has been adopted by a group that does not represent the city's values due to its association with far-right groups and their actions such as the Jan. 6 insurrection. The author also mentions that this flag was taken down quietly, implying a sense of urgency and disapproval.
City parks officials quietly took down the Civic Center ‘Appeal to Heaven’ flag over the weekend, saying a statement to the Chronicle that although it originally signified the ‘quest for American independence,’ it has ‘since been adopted by a different group – one that doesn’t represent the city’s values.’
The Appeal to Heaven flag, which bears a pine tree on a white background with its titular slogan, was among the original 18 raised by the city on June 14 – Flag Day – in 1964, each commemorating ‘a key moment in or symbol in American history.’ But the meaning of the pine tree emblem, originally flown from George Washington’s ships during the Revolutionary War, has shifted in recent years. It’s among several images appropriated by conservative movements, and appeared conspicuously in riots at the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021.
Justice Samuel Alito rejected calls from congressional Democrats to recuse himself in two cases before the Supreme Court due to flags flying outside his homes that he had no involvement in.
An upside-down American flag and a ‘Appeal to Heaven’ flag were flown outside Alito’s Virginia home and vacation home, respectively, without his knowledge or consent.
Democrats argued that the incidents create an appearance of impropriety requiring Alito’s recusal from matters related to the Jan. 6 Capitol riot or the 2020 election.
Alito emphasized that he respects his wife’s right to fly flags on their properties.
Accuracy
]An upside-down American flag was flown outside Alito's home in Alexandria, Virginia[
Alito stated that he had no involvement in the flying of an upside-down US flag at his Alexandria, Virginia home
On Feb. 15, 2021, a young couple in Fairfax County, Virginia reported harassment from Martha-Ann Alito over an anti-Donald Trump sign.
Martha-Alito flew an upside-down flag at her Virginia residence in January 2021, which had been adopted as a symbol of the 'Stop the Steal' campaign.
A second flag associated with the Jan. 6 riot and a Christian nationalist movement was later reported to have flown at the Alitos’ New Jersey beach house.
Accuracy
Martha-Alito flew an upside-down flag at her Virginia residence in January 2021.
An upside-down American flag was seen at Alito’s home in Alexandria, Virginia.
An Appeal to Heaven flag was flown outside of Alito’s beach house in New Jersey.
Deception
(10%)
The article contains selective reporting as the author only reports details that support her position and omits information that would contradict it. For example, the author mentions that Martha-Ann Alito flew an upside-down flag in response to a neighborhood dispute but fails to mention that this was during the height of political tensions following the 2020 election. Additionally, she reports that Samuel Alito offered no explanation for a second flag found at their New Jersey beach house, implying wrongdoing without providing any evidence or context. Lastly, there is emotional manipulation as the author attempts to elicit sympathy for the couple and portray Martha-Ann Alito in a negative light.
The clash between the wife of a conservative Supreme Court justice and the couple, who were in their 30s, liberal and proud of it, played out over months on a bucolic block in Alexandria. It was the kind of shouting match among private citizens, at the height of tensions over the 2020 election, that might have happened in any mixed political community in America.
But three years later, that neighborhood spat – which both sides said began over an anti-Donald Trump sign – has taken on far greater proportions.
Fallacies
(100%)
None Found At Time Of
Publication
Bias
(95%)
The author, Jodi Kantor, demonstrates a clear bias in her reporting by repeatedly describing the actions of Martha-Ann Alito and the couple as 'shouting matches' and 'neighborhood spat', while also implying that Martha-Alito's actions are extreme or unreasonable. She also uses loaded language such as 'mixed political community in America' to frame one side of the conflict in a negative light. Additionally, she makes multiple references to the political affiliations of both parties involved, which can be seen as an attempt to elicit an emotional response from readers.
But three years later, that neighborhood spat – which both sides said began over an anti-Donald Trump sign – has taken on far greater proportions.
The clash between the wife of a conservative Supreme Court justice and the couple, who were in their 30s, liberal and proud of it, played out over months on a bucolic block in Alexandria. It was the kind of shouting match among private citizens, at the height of tensions over the 2020 election, that might have happened in any mixed political community in America.
