Alito stands firm against calls for recusal in Supreme Court cases related to Trump and Jan. 6

Justice Samuel Alito said he won't step aside from cases involving Donald Trump because of flags at his homes. Alito explained in letters to Democrats that he didn't have anything to do with the flags and didn't see a reason to recuse himself. The flags were an upside-down American flag and an "Appeal to Heaven" flag. Alito mentioned that his wife was responsible for flying the flags, and he asked her to take down the upside-down American flag when he noticed it. The "Appeal to Heaven" flag was flown at their beach house, which is owned by his wife. Alito clarified that he and his wife were not aware of the meanings associated with the flags. The upside-down American flag is a symbol of distress, while the "Appeal to Heaven" flag has connections to the Christian nationalist movement and claims about the 2020 election. Alito stated that he didn't know about these associations and that his wife didn't fly the flags to support any particular group or movement. The flags caused some Democrats to ask Alito to step aside from cases involving Trump and January 6 defendants. Alito responded by explaining that he didn't see a conflict of interest and that his wife's actions were not politically motivated. The situation raised questions about bias and fairness in the cases before the Supreme Court.