Former National Security Advisor John Bolton gave CNN anchor Wolf Blitzer an earful when the longtime broadcaster attempted to push a New York Times-based attack on Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito.
The controversy began last week with a New York Times “exposé” revealing that an upside-down American flag had been spotted at the Justice’s home in Alexandria, Virginia. Despite the fact that Alito explained what had happened — his wife had hung the flag amid a dispute with a neighbor — the Times immediately concluded that because the flag was spotted in late January of 2021 and Capitol rioters had also carried upside-down flags, the only possible explanation was that Alito had supported the riots.
Less than a week later, a follow-up NYT report revealed that Alito also had an “Appeal to Heaven” flag — a flag designed by George Washington’s private secretary and commissioned for use in the Continental Navy in 1775 — at his beach house in New Jersey. And because some of *those* flags had also been spotted on January 6th, the Times naturally ran with that as well.
But when Blitzer attempted to present that narrative to Bolton, the former U.S. Ambassador to the U.N. quickly called him out.
“I first heard of the upside-down American flag as being a Jan. 6 symbol when I read about it in The New York Times about a week ago. I had no idea what was going on in Justice Alito’s wife’s mind when she flew it, but if somebody hadn’t told me that they thought it was a symbol of the Jan. 6 people, I wouldn’t have guessed it. I would have thought maybe she was giving the finger to one of her neighbors, and that may not be appropriate, either,” Bolton said.
“But, I’m telling you, it’s getting to a point where people trying to take symbols of American patriotism and turn them against Supreme Court Justices is just over the line!” Bolton continued.
“But should a U.S. Supreme Court justice be using these flags that clearly, right now at least, have some political implications, as well as some history there. But, currently, they have political implications,” Blitzer pushed back, parroting the narrative.
“They do not! That’s just wrong! That is just wrong!” Bolton protested.
Blitzer was insistent: “Well, they do have political implications, both of these flags.”
“It can’t — you — well, they don’t have political implications to me!” Bolton said.
“And they’re involved in Jan. 6,” Blitzer said, as if that was the deciding factor.
“A lot of things were used by Jan. 6!” Bolton observed.
“Turning the U.S. flag upside down was used by those who supported the insurrection, as you know, and this other flag —” Blitzer tried again.
“No! I did not know that! I didn’t know that ’til I read it in The New York Times!” Bolton said again.
“Well, a lot of people did know that, and that’s why it’s controversial,” Blitzer kept hammering the point.
“Well, it’s controversial for liberals! No, listen, Wolf! It’s controversial for liberals who have it in for Sam Alito,” Bolton turned the argument on the CNN anchor. “It’s not controversial for me, and I’m as against Donald Trump as anybody I know in this country.”
“So, bottom line, as far as you’re concerned, he should not recuse himself for the sake of the country?” Blitzer repeated Democrat calls for Alito to recuse himself on any case related to January 6th — something they had previously attempted to accomplish with Justice Clarence Thomas as well.
“Wolf, that’s an unfair question. He should certainly not recuse himself; there’s no indication it was intended to support January the 6th, and I’ll tell you, those who are using this tactic against Alito now, it will come back to haunt them,” Bolton warned. “It’s an American patriotic flag. I support the right of anybody to fly it, period!”
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