Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) called on Democrats to leverage their authority to probe Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito for displaying a Revolutionary War flag.
The “An Appeal to Heaven” flag, a prominent symbol used by Patriot forces during the Revolutionary War, was seen flying above Alito’s residence, causing a stir among Democrats. Appearing on MSNBC’s All In With Chris Hayes, Ocasio-Cortez argued that this act was Alito’s way of aligning with Jan. 6 rioters.
“This is an alarm that I’ve been sounding for quite some time now. I think that what we are seeing here is an extraordinary breach… of not just the trust and the stature of the Supreme Court, but we are seeing a fundamental challenge to our democracy,” she stated. “Samuel Alito has identified himself with the same people who raided the Capitol on January 6 and is now going to be presiding over court cases that have deep implications over the participants of that rally.”
WATCH– @AOC: “Samuel Alito has identified himself with the same people who raided the Capitol on Jan. 6, and is now going to be presiding over court cases that have deep implications over the participants of that rally.” pic.twitter.com/jHXKTsIf7n
— All In with Chris Hayes (@allinwithchris) May 23, 2024
Ocasio-Cortez then called on Democrats to issue subpoenas to investigate Alito.
“And while this is a threat to our democracy, Democrats have a responsibility for… defending our democracy. And in the Senate, we have gavels — there should be subpoenas going out. There should be active investigations that are happening,” she noted.
“I also believe that when Democrats have power, we have to use it,” the New York Democrat added. “We cannot be in perpetual campaign mode. We need to be in governance mode. We need to be in accountability mode, with every lever that we have because we cannot take a Senate majority for granted, a House majority for granted, or a White House for granted.”
Ocasio-Cortez is among many Democrats outraged by Alito’s flag display, which follows criticism over his prior flying of an upside-down American flag, a historical symbol of political distress seen as a pro-Trump signal in the aftermath of the Jan. 6 insurrection.
The Appeal to Heaven flag was designed by George Washington’s secretary, Colonel Joseph Reed, in 1775. The text on the flag, placed above a New England pine tree, refers to a passage from the English philosopher John Locke in his Second Treatise on Government. In this passage, Locke argued that citizens had a divinely ordained right to revolt against any unjust governing body or figure.
“And where the body of the people, or any single man, is deprived of their right, or is under the exercise of a power without right, and have no appeal on earth, then they have a liberty to appeal to heaven,” he wrote.
The flag was flown by a Massachusetts naval squadron during the Revolutionary War and adopted as the state’s naval flag. A version of the flag, without the text since 1971, remains as Massachusetts’s naval ensign.
The flag has taken on varied meanings over the years and has been embraced by some Christians and conservatives. House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) flies the flag alongside the American flag and the Louisiana state flag outside his office. Other congressional Republicans also display the flag, with Rep. Eric Burlison (R-MO) defending its use against backlash directed at Alito.
“The ‘An Appeal to Heaven’ flag isn’t provocative and has nothing to do with Jan. 6,” he wrote. “The liberal media should pick up a history book.”
The Appeal to Heaven flag was carried by some Jan. 6 rioters, along with numerous other flags, including the American flag, South Vietnamese flag, Republic of Georgia flag, Romanian flag, Pahlavi Iran flag, Marine Corps flag, Thin Blue Line flag, Jolly Roger flag, “Kekistan” flag, Confederate flag, Texan flag, Kazakh flag, “Don’t Tread on Me” flag, various Make America Great Again flags, and more.
Images of the riot do not indicate that the Appeal to Heaven flag played a prominent role.
