Joy Reid of MSNBC fiercely criticized Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito on Monday, labeling him as an overt conservative amid growing ethics issues related to potential biases and political affiliations. She characterized him as “essentially a Fox host on the court,” emphasizing his transparent political ideology.
Continuing her condemnation, Reid asserted that Alito openly seeks to transform the nation into a Christian nationalist state, suggesting he envisions a dystopian reality similar to that depicted in “The Handmaid’s Tale.”
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In a recently released secret recording, Alito expressed to a woman he believed to be a Catholic conservative his view that negotiating with liberals is futile and that the court should prioritize advancing conservative values.
“One side or the other is going to win,” he stated. “I mean, there can be a way of working — a way of living together peacefully, but it’s difficult, you know, because there are differences on fundamental things that really can’t be compromised.”
The comments were captured by progressive filmmaker Lauren Windsor at the Supreme Court Historical Society’s annual dinner on June 3. Windsor attended the event under her real name but posed as a conservative to extract insights from the judges. The recordings were later published by Rolling Stone and Windsor’s activist website, The Undercurrent.
Justice Clarence Thomas also faced scrutiny, having accepted over $4 million in gifts, significantly more than all other justices combined during the same timeframe.
Alito attracted further controversy last month when it was revealed that flags associated with far-right politics, including an “Appeal to Heaven” flag and an upside-down American flag, were flown at his home.
Although Alito claimed the flags were not political but rather personal grievances from his wife directed at neighbors, the neighbor publicly disputed this explanation. This incident has prompted widespread backlash from Congressional Democrats, with several high-profile members calling for his recusal from cases related to January 6.
During the same event, Martha-Ann Alito, the justice’s wife, told the undercover activist that she intended to retaliate against critics of the couple regarding the flags. “You come after me, I’m gonna give it back to you,” she stated in the recording aired by MSNBC.
She further announced plans to display a “Sacred Heart of Jesus” flag at her residence in response to a nearby LGBTQ Pride flag, highlighting her alignment with right-wing Christian symbolism.
Justice Alito has persistently defended himself against claims of ethical violations, while Chief Justice John Roberts has not convened a meeting to address the allegations.
Reid forecasted on Monday that Alito and the current Supreme Court might soon revisit the landmark Brown v. Board of Education decision, following Alito’s ruling that overturned Roe v. Wade in 2022.
“Just in reading through the litany of things that Alito has said in the past, he’s criticized the Warren court,” Reid remarked, referring to the court that secured many civil rights advancements.
She pointed out that Justice Clarence Thomas has already raised questions about whether Brown v. Board “went too far,” suggesting that this indicates an intention to challenge the decision.
The release of these recordings coincides with increased scrutiny surrounding the gifts received by Alito and other justices. A report published Thursday revealed that Alito has accepted approximately $140,000 in gifts since 2004, ranking him third among current and former justices in that period
