Who is Trump’s favorite Supreme Court justice? Probably not one of the 3 he nominated

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Former President Donald Trump’s favorite Supreme Court justices might not even be the three he nominated.

Trump congratulated Justice Samuel Alito, who was nominated in 2005 by then-President George W. Bush, after the jurist on Wednesday refused to recuse himself from cases related to the January 6, 2021, riot at the Capitol or the 2020 election.

Alito said in a letter to lawmakers that he didn’t know that his wife had raised an upside-down flag in the days before President Joe Biden’s inauguration in January 2021. In any event, the deeds of his wife, Martha-Ann Alito, don’t meet his threshold for recusal.

Alito also addressed the “Appeal to Heaven” flag – which some interpret as pushing for more religion in the public space and has also become a symbol for Trump supporters – that was flown at the justice’s New Jersey beach house last summer. He said his wife flew the flag, which dates back to the American Revolution, and neither was aware of its current connotation.

But Trump was doing the social media equivalent of a fist pump at Alito’s declaration when he said this on his social media platform:

Congratulations to United States Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito for showing the INTELLIGENCE, COURAGE, and “GUTS” to refuse stepping aside from making a decision on anything January 6th related. All U.S. Judges, Justices, and Leaders should have such GRIT - Our Country would be far more advanced than its current status as A BADLY FAILING NATION, headed by the Worst President in American History, Crooked Joe Biden!

The Supreme Court is currently deliberating over whether Trump, as a former