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2w ago

Education Official Reported to Display ‘Appeal to Heaven’ Flag, Drawing Union Objection and Partisan Blowback

The dispute highlights a deepening divide over a Revolutionary‑era symbol that some groups have recently adopted as an extremist emblem.

An "Appeal to Heaven" flag is seen outside of Speaker of the House Mike Johnson (R-LA) office on Capitol Hill on May 23, 2024. The flag was touted by rioters who stormed the U.S. Capitol on January 6, 2021.
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Overview

  • USA TODAY reported that the pine tree “Appeal to Heaven” flag was hung outside the D.C. office of principal deputy assistant secretary Murray Bessette, citing the Education Department’s union and an employee.
  • An agency spokesperson declined to confirm the display and dismissed the union’s complaint as “imagined grievances,” avoiding any commitment to remove the banner.
  • The Education Department workers’ union said the flag, seen among Jan. 6 rioters, is offensive and demoralizing and should not appear in federal workplaces.
  • Conservative commentators and outlets criticized the USA TODAY framing and emphasized the flag’s Revolutionary War origins and historic use by early American forces.
  • Recent context includes the flag’s adoption by some Christian nationalist and far‑right groups, its brief raising at the Small Business Administration, reported sightings linked to Justice Samuel Alito’s property, and displays by House Speaker Mike Johnson.