CBS’s Stephen Colbert reacted on Monday’s edition of The Late Show to the story that Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito’s wife Martha-Ann flew an upside-down flag at their home in response to neighborly abuse by accusing the couple of being Nazis.
Colbert declared that “when it comes to January 6th cases argued before the Court, Alito has been highly sympathetic to the mob. That's like when your couples therapist is wearing a shirt that says, "Team David." There's no possible justification for a Supreme Court justice displaying a symbol of insurrection at his home.”
There’s no evidence Alito has sympathy for the January 6 rioters’ cause, but Colbert rolled right along, failing to see the difference between blaming and explaining, “Which is why, when this photo was published, Alito immediately did the right thing, owned up, and blamed his wife, saying in a statement that he had 'No involvement whatsoever in the flying of the flag.' And 'It was briefly placed by his wife, Martha-Ann.' So he dropped a dime on his gal, citing the landmark case of Me Just Tryna Live My Life v. Ladies Be Crazy, Amirite?'"
Colbert did concede that there was context beyond January 6, “Crazy! Alito excused his wife's desecration of the flag that our forefathers died for at Iwo Jima, because he says she only did it because a neighbor displayed a "[bleep] Trump" sign on their lawn, and when Mrs. Alito confronted the neighbor about it, they say the neighbor addressed his wife using vulgar language, ‘Including the C-word.’”
However, Colbert then took a leap into the logical abyss by trying to claim that the Alitos sided with the rioters as a way to get back at their neighbors, “Okay, that is not nice. But if someone calls you the C-word, putting up an insurrection flag is not the response. ‘Oh, you were rude to my wife? Well, we're Nazis now.’ So, are you happy? So Martha-Ann runs up the January 6 flag, and then Sam comes home from work, sees it, and is like, ‘Honey, I understand you're upset, but we have to take that down immediately. For Pete's sake, I'm a justice of the Supreme Court,’ is what would have been nice to have happened.
Instead, Colbert lamented, “neighbors confirmed the display stood for several days before being taken down. So, Alito clearly knew about this, because he came and went for several days, and, to paraphrase my favorite Spangled Banner, ‘the flag was still there.’”
Speaking of paraphrasing, Monday gave proof through the night that Colbert was still doing the clown nose on-clown nose off routine. He insists that Alito is essentially a Nazi sympathizer who is delegitimizing the Court, but he himself is a simple jester.
Here is a transcript for the May 20 show:
CBS The Late Show with Stephen Colbert
5/20/2024
11:39 PM ET
STEPHEN COLBERT: And when it comes to January 6th cases argued before the Court, Alito has been highly sympathetic to the mob. That's like when your couples therapist is wearing a shirt that says, "Team David." There's no possible justification for a Supreme Court justice displaying a symbol of insurrection at his home.
Which is why, when this photo was published, Alito immediately did the right thing, owned up, and blamed his wife, saying in a statement that he had "No involvement whatsoever in the flying of the flag." And "It was briefly placed by his wife, Martha-Ann." So he dropped a dime on his gal, citing the landmark case of Me Just Tryna Live My Life v. Ladies Be Crazy, Amirite?"
Crazy! Alito excused his wife's desecration of the flag that our forefathers died for at Iwo Jima, because he says she only did it because a neighbor displayed a "[bleep] Trump" sign on their lawn, and when Mrs. Alito confronted the neighbor about it, they say the neighbor addressed his wife using vulgar language, "Including the C-word."
Okay, that is not nice. But if someone calls you the C-word, putting up an insurrection flag is not the response. "Oh, you were rude to my wife? Well, we're Nazis now." So, are you happy? So Martha-Ann runs up the January 6 flag, and then Sam comes home from work, sees it, and is like, "Honey, I understand you're upset, but we have to take that down immediately. For Pete's sake, I'm a justice of the Supreme Court," is what would have been nice to have happened.
But instead, neighbors confirmed the display stood for several days before being taken down. So, Alito clearly knew about this, because he came and went for several days, and, to paraphrase my favorite Spangled Banner, “the flag was still there.”
