The Washington Post recently pressed U.S. Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito for answers regarding an upside-down American flag flown outside his house in January 2021 despite getting them three years ago.
The Washington Post did not appear to report until May 25, 2024 they sent now-retired reporter Robert Barnes to Alito’s house Jan. 20, 2021 — the day of President Joe Biden’s inauguration — after receiving a tip about the flag. The outlet admitted it did not publish the story at the time because the upside-down flag, which was reportedly “no longer flying” when Barnes arrived, was apparently a demonstration by Martha-Ann Alito, the justice’s wife, “rather than the justice, and connected to a dispute with her neighbors.”
“It was not clear then that the argument was rooted in politics,” a Washington spokesperson was reported by the outlet to have stated.
Alito and his wife reportedly encountered Barnes as they were exiting the house, and a reportedly aggrieved Martha-Ann requested the Washington Post reporter to “get off my property.” She later shouted that the upside-down flag was “an international signal of distress” as Barnes explained the information he was seeking, according to the outlet. (RELATED: Supreme Court Justice Claims She ‘Cried’ Over Rulings)
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The Washington Post found out about the inverted flag flying over Justice Alito’s home back in 2021.
A WaPo reporter went to the Alito residence on Inauguration Day and had a tense encounter with Justice Alito and his wife Martha-Ann.
The Post says it didn’t report on… pic.twitter.com/Pf2z3lV602
— Yashar Ali 🐘 (@yashar) May 25, 2024
Alito guided his wife to the car as he told the outlet the flag raising was the result of a neighborhood dispute rather than a political protest. The Alitos’ neighbors reportedly displayed a yard sign about the couple which Martha-Ann found offensive and the Washington Post reporter’s line of questioning at that moment appeared to rehash her frustration. She hoisted a novelty garden flag on the flagpole and said, “There! Is that better?”
The Washington Post published their report about the three-year-old incident after the New York Times ran with their version of the story May 16, 2024. The New York Times claimed the upside-down flag was a “‘Stop the Steal’ symbol” despite admitting their uncertainly. The article claimed the flag gave off the “mere impression of political opinion.”
“I had no involvement whatsoever in the fly of the flag,” Alito told the New York Tines in an emailed statement. “It was so briefly place by Mrs. Alito in response to a neighbor’s use of objectionable and personally insulting language on a yard sign.”
A Washington Post spokesperson, responding to The Daily Caller’s inquiry, declined to add beyond the details included in the May 25, 2024 story.
The Daily Caller also reached out to the Supreme Court for comment, in addition to attempting to reach Robert Barnes.
