'Partisan troll': Sam Alito's Trump recusal refusal spurs immediate outrage

Supreme Court Justice Samual Alito's refusal to consider recusing himself from cases involving former President Donald Trump spurred outrage among those who say he cannot be trusted to rule fairly.

Alito Wednesday wrote a defiant letter to the Senate leaders who raised concerns over reports that his wife hung a "Stop the Steal" symbol in the family's front yard after the Jan. 6 riots at the U.S. Capitol.

"My wife is fond of flying flags. I am not," Alito wrote. "My wife was solely responsible for having flagpoles put up at our residence and our vacation home and has flown a wide variety of flags over the years."

This dismissal arrives on the heels of a groundbreaking report that Martha-Ann Alito not only hung an upside-down flag but also, according to neighbors interviewed by the New York Times, mounted a campaign of harassment that saw them calling the cops they hoped could "make her stop."

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“How dare you behave this way," Emily Baden told the Times she said to Alito's wife. "You’ve been harassing us, over signs. You represent the highest court in the land. Shame on you.”

These reports are why Sens. Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) requested Alito consider recusing himself from the presidential immunity argument Trump presented to the nation's highest court in April.

Trump argued his actions in the lead up to the Capitol riots were protected by his office and he therefore cannot be charged with election interference.

That case remains on hold as the Supreme Court weighs the arguments and Election Day 2024 edges closer. Trump is the presumptive Republican nominee.

Alito's recusal refusal was met with more scorn than surprise on Wednesday, a brief scan of social media shows.

"Well, we'll just have to legally remove Alito from the court, won't we?" replied political commentator Keith Olbermann.

"Alito does a Reverse Uno, suggesting that people calling for his recusal are trying to influence the outcome of cases before the Court," responded former FBI special agent Asha Rangappa. "He really is a piece of work."

"Alito does not care a wit for decency, the integrity of the court, or the good of the Republic," wrote X user Brian Wasik. "He's a partisan troll."