Chief Justice Roberts Rages Against Supreme Court's 'Political Actor' Image
HERSHEY, Pennsylvania—U.S. Chief Justice John Roberts is sounding the alarm. On Wednesday, he laid bare his fears about the Supreme Court being seen as mere political puppets rather than the guardians of the law. This comes at a time when the court's legitimacy is under fire from all corners.
Roberts, who has been steering the ship since 2005, didn’t mince words. He acknowledged the plummeting public approval ratings reflected in recent polls, as the court’s conservative majority continues to shift American jurisprudence sharply to the right.
“At a very basic level, people think we’re making policy decisions,” Roberts told a crowd of judges, lawyers, and law students. “I think they view us as purely political actors, which I don’t think is an accurate understanding of what we do.”
Appointed by Republican George W. Bush, Roberts is often seen as a staunch conservative but is also deeply invested in preserving the court’s credibility. The current 6-3 conservative majority was solidified in 2020 when Trump made his third appointment, leading to a series of landmark rulings that have rolled back abortion rights, expanded gun rights, and limited federal regulatory power.
Just last week, the court’s conservatives dismantled a crucial part of the Voting Rights Act, making it tougher for minorities to challenge racially discriminatory electoral maps—a win for Louisiana Republicans and Trump’s agenda.
In a controversial ruling authored by Roberts in 2024, the court granted Trump sweeping immunity from criminal prosecution related to his attempts to overturn the 2020 election results. This effectively delayed a trial that never happened, giving Trump a leg up in his quest for the presidency.
Since Trump’s return to power last year, the court has been quick to allow his sweeping executive actions to proceed while legal challenges loom. However, in a rare setback for Trump, Roberts authored a ruling that struck down his global tariffs imposed under emergency powers.
During an on-stage interview with a federal judge, Roberts was pressed on how the Supreme Court is misunderstood. He lamented that justices are “not simply part of the political process... I’m not sure the people grasp that as much as is appropriate.”
Justice Elena Kagan, one of the court’s liberal voices, echoed similar sentiments in 2022, warning that the court’s legitimacy could be jeopardized if justices are perceived as imposing personal biases rather than adhering to legal precedents.
“When courts become extensions of the political process... that’s when there’s a problem,” Kagan stated, reflecting on recent rulings that have sparked outrage.
Democratic lawmakers and legal scholars have also voiced their concerns. Senator Edward Markey labeled the conservative majority as “illegitimate” and “extremist” in 2024.
Roberts reiterated his worries about personal attacks on judges. While he acknowledged that criticism of rulings is fair game, he drew a line at personal attacks against judges themselves. “As soon as that happens, that’s not appropriate and it can lead to very serious problems,” he warned.
Though he didn’t name Trump directly, Roberts’ comments come amid ongoing tensions with the former president, who has relentlessly criticized judicial decisions that thwart his agenda.
The Supreme Court has been thrust into contentious cases involving Trump’s expansive view of presidential powers and is expected to rule soon on more high-stakes issues related to his administration.
Trump has publicly condemned Roberts and other justices who ruled against him on tariffs, claiming foreign interests influenced their decisions. He even called out two of his own appointees, Gorsuch and Barrett, labeling their decision “an embarrassment to their families.”
Last month, Roberts intensified his rhetoric against personal attacks on judges. “The problem sometimes is that the criticism can move from a focus on legal analysis to personalities... that can be quite dangerous,” he cautioned. “It’s got to stop.”
