Former President Donald Trump has been convicted on multiple felony charges, prompting a wave of protests from his supporters who are now sharing upside-down American flags across X.
Trump was found guilty of 34 counts of falsifying business records by a Manhattan jury on Thursday in his hush money trial.
Among the notable figures sharing the inverted American flag are Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA), Fox News contributors Katie Pavlich and Guy Benson, and conservative commentator Dan Bongino.
According to U.S. flag code, which is not enforceable, flying the flag upside down is “an international signal of distress.”
The upside-down flag gained significant attention recently following photos of Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito and his wife’s house displaying it after the Jan. 6, 2021 riots. A New York Times article revealed they hung the inverted American flag outside their home. Alito’s wife claimed that it was not connected to the riots but was a response to hateful signage posted by their neighbors.
Since then, Democrats have criticized the justice and his wife, calling for him to recuse himself from cases related to Jan. 6 and Trump’s trials. Alito has dismissed these calls.
Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (AOC) responded to Greene’s use of the inverted flag with another post on X.
Support for Trump also includes the posting of another flag symbolizing “An Appeal to Heaven,” also known as the pine tree flag. Rep. Eric Burlison (R-MO) and Rep. Barry Moore (R-AL) posted variations of this flag, which was first flown by troops during the American Revolutionary War and is associated with American independence. The flag was removed from San Francisco City Hall after flying there for 60 years, following the verdict of Trump’s hush money trial. City officials have now linked the flag to Capitol rioters.
Since Trump’s conviction, “Civil War” has become the number one trending topic on X.
Trump’s lawyers have announced their intention to appeal the verdict.
