Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito said his wife, Martha-Ann, flew a U.S. flag upside down — a symbol of the ‘Stop the Steal’ movement — after an argument with a neighbor following the 2020 election. 

The Report: On Thursday, a New York Times (Lean Left bias) report revealed photographs of the flag and discussed interviews with neighbors and court workers. The Times also cited judicial experts who said “the flag was a clear violation of ethics rules.”

Alito’s Response: Alito told the Times in an email that his wife had “briefly” flown the flag. On Friday, Alito spoke to Fox News (Right bias) about the report. As paraphrased by Fox, Alito said, “a neighbor living down the street put up a sign that read ‘F--- Trump’ about 50 feet away from a children’s bus stop.” When Martha-Ann confronted the neighbors about it, they put up a sign blaming her for the January 6th Capitol riot. After an argument with one of the neighbors, Alito’s wife responded by hanging the flag upside down. 

For Context: As the Times’ article notes, Alito and the other justices were considering whether to consider a 2020 election case at the time, and the Supreme Court is now set to rule on two cases related to the Capitol riot. Justice Clarence Thomas has also faced criticism over his wife’s actions following the 2020 election, and Alito has previously been criticized by liberals for writing the opinion that overturned Roe v. Wade.

How the Media Covered It: As with past judicial controversies, right-rated outlets often defended conservative Supreme Court justices, and left-rated outlets often highlighted their critics.