Sam Alito tells Fox host that neighbor verbally harassed wife before MAGA flag went up
U.S. Supreme Court justice Samuel Alito told a Fox News host that his wife displayed an upside-down American flag outside their home following a January 2021 confrontation with a neighbor.
The conservative justice had told the New York Times, which revealed the flag and published a photo of it, that his wife flew the MAGA symbol "in response to a neighbor’s use of objectionable and personally insulting language on yard signs," but Fox News Sunday host Shannon Bream says Alito told her that his wife had been verbally harassed by the man.
"I spoke directly with Justice #Alito about the flag story in the NYT," Bream posted on X. "In addition to what's in the story, he told me a neighbor on their street had a 'F--- Trump' sign that was within 50 feet of where children await the school bus in Jan [2021]. Mrs. Alito brought this up with the neighbor."
The photo published by the Times was taken on Jan. 17, 2021, which was 11 days after the violent U.S. Capitol riot and three days before President Joe Biden's inauguration.
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"According to Justice Alito, things escalated and the neighbor put up a sign personally addressing Mrs. Alito and blaming her for the Jan 6th attacks," Bream posted. "Justice Alito says he and his wife were walking in the neighborhood and there were words between Mrs. Alito and a male at the home with the sign. Alito says the man engaged in vulgar language, 'including the c-word.'"
The court was still considering whether to hear an election challenge when the flag was flying, and Alito wrote a dissent calling for a full review of the Pennsylvania case the majority had found unwarranted, and the court will decide in the coming weeks whether to grant Trump full immunity for his actions leading up to the insurrection.
"Following that exchange, Mrs. Alito was distraught and hung the flag upside down 'for a short time.'" Bream posted. "Justice Alito says some neighbors on his street are 'very political' and acknowledges it was a very heated time in January 2021."