  The quenched fraction of satellite galaxies is aligned with the orientation
of the halo's central galaxy, such that on average, satellites form stars at a
lower rate along the major axis of the central. This effect, called anisotropic
satellite galaxy quenching (ASGQ), has been found in observational data and
cosmological simulations. Analyzing the IllustrisTNG simulation,
Mart\'in-Navarro et al. (2021) recently argued that ASGQ is caused by
anisotropic energetic feedback and constitutes "compelling observational
evidence for the role of black holes in regulating galaxy evolution." In this
letter, we study the causes of ASGQ in state-of-the-art galaxy formation
simulations to evaluate this claim. We show that cosmological simulations
predict that on average, satellite galaxies along the major axis of the dark
matter halo tend to have been accreted at earlier cosmic times and are hosted
by subhalos of larger peak halo masses. As a result, a modulation of the
quenched fraction with respect to the major axis of the central galaxy is a
natural prediction of hierarchical structure formation. We show that ASGQ is
predicted by the UniverseMachine galaxy formation model, a model without
anisotropic feedback. Furthermore, we demonstrate that even in the IllustrisTNG
simulation, anisotropic satellite accretion properties are the main cause of
ASGQ. Ultimately, we argue that ASGQ is not a reliable indicator of
supermassive black hole feedback in galaxy formation simulations and, thus,
should not be interpreted as such in observational data.
