Key Republican senators sharply criticized Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito after news reports showed an upside-down American flag – a symbol used by some supporters of former President Donald rumpwho challenged the legitimacy of Joe Biden’s 2020 victory – flying outside his home in 2021.

 Such criticism of a conservative justice from high-ranking GOP senators is extremely rare and a sign of how unusual the controversy is.

 In a brief interview  Senate Republican Whip John Thune, one of the contenders vying to replace retiring Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, called the flag a “bad decision.” “I don’t know how you explain that,” Thune said.

 Sen. Lindsey Graham, the top Republican on the Senate Judiciary Committee, said that it was a “mistake” for Alito to have an American flag hanging upside down at his home.

 Utah Republican Sen. Mitt Romney echoed concerns about the flag.“It’s very unfortunate and we ought to take a look at it,” he said to reporters.
 The upside-down flag became a symbol of the “Stop the Steal” movement in the weeks and months following the election, in which rump’s supporters falsely claimed that Biden’s win was illegitimate due to widespread fraud.


The inverted flag was widely seen during the January 6, 2021, attack on the US Capitol.
 Utah Republican Sen. Mitt Romney echoed concerns about the flag.“It’s very unfortunate and we ought to take a look at it,” he said to reporters.