...
By Rachel Dobkin
Weekend Reporter
0
Share
Newsweek is a Trust Project member
See more of our trusted coverage when you search.Prefer Newsweek on Googleto see more of our trusted coverage when you search.
Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene went on social media Wednesday to call for people to turn their American flags upside down while also criticizing the Department Justice's (DOJ) efforts to hold Donald Trump and others accused of contributing to the January 6 Capitol riot accountable.
Greene's comments come in response to criticism that conservative Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito drew after The New York Times published last week a photo of an upside-down American flag that was taken outside his Virginia home on January 17, 2021.
The inverted flag was flown 11 days after Trump's supporters stormed the U.S. Capitol to stop Congress from certifying Joe Biden's 2020 election win. The riot erupted following Trump's claims that the election was stolen through widespread voter fraud, despite no evidence. Many Trump supporters displayed an upside-down American flag in the wake of his 2020 election loss as a sign of protest.
Read More
Marjorie Taylor Greene Wants to Invest in Democratic Stronghold5 min read
Pete Buttigieg Ridiculed for Joe Biden’s $7.5 Billion ‘Massive Failure’3 min read
Greg Abbott Gets Scathing Rebuke From Texas Newspaper3 min read
Alito told the Times that he had "no involvement whatsoever in the flying of the flag," saying his wife "briefly" put up the inverted flag "in response to a neighbor's use of objectionable and personally insulting language on yard signs."
...
On Wednesday, Greene, a Georgia Republican, wrote on X (formerly Twitter): "Democrats declared war on us and weaponized the full power of the justice system the minute they took power."
She went on: "They are trying to lock Trump up for life, are prosecuting over 400 Republicans across the country for fighting for election integrity in 2020, and are putting thousands of people in jail for protesting the 2020 election on January 6, 2020.
"Now Democrats are going after Justice Alito for an upside down flag being flown at his house. WE SHOULD ALL BE FLYING THE FLAG UPSIDE DOWN!!!"
Republicans who have been critical of Trump have also criticized Alito for the inverted flag.
When asked by Newsweek about Greene's understanding of flying an inverted flag and the message she was trying to send, the congresswoman's office replied via email: "Are you being intentionally obtuse?"
Newsweek then asked a follow-up question: "According to U.S. flag code, the flag is only meant to be turned upside-down 'as a signal of dire distress in instances of extreme danger to life or property.' Of course, it has been used in history as a form of protest, so I am asking, why does Greene feel the urge to use this form of protest, if that is her intention?" Her office has yet to respond to the follow-up question as of Wednesday evening.
Newsweek also reached out to the White House and the Biden and Trump presidential campaigns via email for comment on Wednesday, as well as the DOJ, via an online form.
Trump, the presumptive GOP presidential nominee, is facing four federal felony counts related to his actions to overturn the election's results, culminating in the Capitol riot. The charges are conspiracy to defraud the United States; conspiracy to obstruct an official proceeding; obstruction of and attempt to obstruct an official proceeding; and conspiracy against rights. Trump has pleaded not guilty to all charges and says that the case, brought by DOJ special counsel Jack Smith, is politically motivated.
Meanwhile, over 1,424 people so far have been charged for crimes related to the riot, according to the DOJ. This includes more than 500 individuals charged with assaulting or impeding law enforcement, which is a felony.
Some of Trump's allies have also drawn charges in battleground states like Georgia and Arizona for their efforts to overturn the 2020 election results there.
In Greene's post, she also shared one of her posts from August 2022, which was an image of an upside-down flag. She said that she posted the image on the day that the FBI raided Trump's Mar-a-Lago home in Florida for classified documents.
Trump was later indicted, in June 2023, and charged with mishandling classified documents and obstructing the government's efforts to retrieve them. He has pleaded not guilty to all charges and says that this case is also politically motivated.
Update 05/22/24, 5:53 p.m. ET: This article has been updated with comment from Greene's office.
View 0 Comments
Submit Correction
View Editorial & AI Guidelines