Trump's purported VP contender Tom Cotton proudly displays Jan 6-linked flag, Internet brands him 'a coward and a borderline traitor'

WASHINGTON, DC: Sen Tom Cotton, apparently a top candidate of former President Donald Trump's vice presidential pick, joined other conservatives in flying a flag linked to the January 6 Capitol insurrection.

The congressman from Arkansas displayed the "Appeal to Heaven" flag outside his Senate office and shared an image of it on X (formerly Twitter).

The flag gained attention following a recent report by The New York Times, stating that it was spotted outside the vacation home of Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito in Long Beach Island, New Jersey, last summer.

The Supreme Court Justice, who is expected to remain politically neutral, faced criticism recently for flying the US flag upside down in the days following the Capitol attack on January 6, 2021.

Sen Tom Cotton's proud display of 'Appeal to Heaven' flag

"I stand with George Washington and Martha-Ann Alito over pearl-clutching libs at the New York Times and Democrats in Congress," the Republican Senator wrote on X, sharing the display of the controversial flag outside his office.

While Cotton is correct about the 'Appeal to Heaven' flag's revolutionary origins, it is necessary to note that it was popularized by the religious pro-Trump insurrectionists who unleashed an attack on the Capitol to prevent certification of Joe Biden's election victory in 2021, according to Daily Beast.

The flag that has a green pine tree on a white field with the inscription "AN APPEAL TO HEAVEN" was carried by Capitol attackers along with upside-down American flags.

The New Apostolic Reformation (NAR) revived the controversial flag, which has roots tracing back to the Revolutionary War. NAR, a right-wing Christian sect, seeks to empower Christians to establish dominion over the entire United States with the goal of transforming it into a Christian nation. This movement is just one among several that align with and support Trump.

Cotton is not the only Trump ally who displays the flag. House Speaker Mike Johnson also hangs the Christian nationalist-related flag outside his office.

Internet slams Sen Tom Cotton for hanging 'Appeal to Heaven' flag outside his office

Netizens brutally lashed out at the Senator for proudly displaying the controversial flag, stating George Washington would not be proud of his action.

A user asserted, "You sir are a coward and a borderline traitor Please resign."

"You are disgusting. No SCOTUS justice, or spouse, should be displaying a definitive political preference under any circumstances. If it had been Sotomayor, Kagan or Brown Jackson you’d be the first in line screaming for an investigation. Shame on you. You have zero credibility," another fumed. [sic]

A user remarked, "You’re supposed to uphold the constitution, not your personal bible!!!" [sic]

Another response read, "George Washington would have viewed Alito and you as traitors."

A person wrote, "Hopefully when your seat is up for re-election? You will be standing on the curb."

An enraged individual said, "You don’t stand with George Washington. You stand with the Alito’s who are unAmerican. It’s obvious that the court has been corrupted by rich Republican oligarchs trying to influence court decisions. Alito is compromised with his support of an attempted coup! What a disgrace!"

"Of course you do. You purposely ignore the fact that the flag has an entirely different meaning now than it did in the 1700's. You lack any sense of ethics," someone else argued. [sic]

Another user added, "George Washington would be ashamed of how you all are using his flag of choice. You all took it and twisted it to fit your narrative."

This article contains remarks made on the Internet by individual people and organizations. MEAWW cannot confirm them independently and does not support claims or opinions being made online.