Secret Recordings of Alito Released

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Facts

  • US Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito, in a conversation he didn't know was being recorded, can be heard in audio posted Monday by filmmaker Lauren Windsor to X, formerly Twitter, agreeing the US should return to 'a place of Godliness.'1
  • Windsor, a liberal who describes herself as a documentary filmmaker and 'advocacy journalist,' secretly recorded conversations with Alito and Chief Justice John Roberts during the annual Supreme Court Historical Society black-tie event, which is closed to journalists.2
  • Windsor, posing as a conservative, expressed the idea that negotiations between the left and right may be pointless. Alito somewhat concurred by saying, 'One side or the other is going to win,' but also said, 'There can be a way of working, a way of living together.'3
  • When Windsor remarked that the US should embrace Godliness, Alito said, 'I agree with you. I agree with you.'3
  • In her conversation with Roberts, Windsor suggested the US is a Christian nation, but he replied, 'I know a lot of Jewish and Muslim friends who would say, maybe not.' He added, 'It's not our job to do that. It's our job to decide the cases as best we can.'4
  • These recordings surface as Alito recently was caught in a controversy over provocative flags related to conservative viewpoints and the Jan. 6, 2021, riots at the US Capitol flying outside his two homes. He has declined to recuse himself from any Jan.6-related cases.2

Sources: 1Associated Press, 2New York Times, 3Politico and 4ABC News.

Narratives

  • Left narrative, as provided by Daily Kos. These remarks — which never reference the rule of law or the Constitution — show that Alito doesn't consider himself a neutral arbiter of issues before SCOTUS but instead has preset positions and doesn't believe in compromise. This is just the latest sign that Alito isn't qualified to serve on the US' highest court and there should be more accountability for the justices.
  • Right narrative, as provided by Federalist. The left is desperate to tag any kind of scandal on a dignified conservative justice, especially Alito. But nothing Alito said in these recordings is egregious or incorrect. He's standing up for his rights and beliefs, and that's something every American should aspire to. There's no controversy here.

Predictions