Faithful America, an organization dedicated to promoting social justice from a Christian perspective, has initiated a petition calling for the resignation of Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito. This petition, which seeks 15,000 signatures, has gained considerable traction since its launch last Wednesday.
The catalyst for this petition includes recent remarks by Alito in a covert recording, where he suggested that the United States should return “to a place of godliness.” This, coupled with the controversial flags displayed outside his homes, has sparked significant public concern.
In January 2021, The New York Times reported that an upside-down American flag was flown outside Alito’s Virginia home. This flag, associated with the “Stop the Steal” movement, is used by those disputing the 2020 presidential election results. Alito attributed this to his wife, explaining that she raised the flag during a neighborhood dispute over an anti-Trump sign.
Additionally, reports indicate that Alito displayed a Christian nationalist “Appeal to Heaven” flag at his summer residence on Long Beach Island, New Jersey, in mid-2023. This flag has been linked to conservative groups, including some participants in the January 6 Capitol riot.
Further controversy arose when Rolling Stone published secret recordings made by filmmaker Lauren Windsor at a Supreme Court Historical Society dinner on June 3. In these recordings, Alito expressed views suggesting that the country’s ideological divide could only be resolved by one side prevailing, and endorsed a vision of returning to “godliness,” aligning with Christian nationalist sentiments.
By Sunday, the petition from Faithful America had accumulated 12,181 signatures. It criticizes Alito for allegedly promoting a Christian nationalist agenda and violating the constitutional separation of church and state. The petition asserts that his actions and statements compromise the impartiality expected of a Supreme Court Justice and demands his immediate resignation.
Calls for Alito to recuse himself from cases involving former President Trump’s claims of presidential immunity have also intensified. Alito, however, denies involvement in the flag incidents, placing responsibility on his wife. He has also refused to step aside, asserting that the incidents cited do not warrant his recusal.
Supreme Court justices hold their positions for life unless they resign, retire, are removed, or pass away.