Chief Justice John Roberts speaks out about hostility toward judges |
Chief Justice John Roberts speaks out about hostility toward judges
Chief Justice John Roberts isn’t someone who typically steps into the political spotlight, but this week, he felt the need to say something. And that alone says a lot about where we are right now.
While he acknowledged that criticism of the court comes with the job, he warned that something more dangerous is happening.
“The problem sometimes is that the criticism can move from a focus on legal analysis to personalities, and you see from all over, not just any one political perspective on it, that it’s more directed in a personal way, and that frankly can be actually quite dangerous.”
He didn’t stop there. “Judges around the country work very hard to get it right, and if they don’t, their opinions are subject to criticism. But, personally directed hostility is dangerous and it’s got to stop.”
That warning didn’t come out of nowhere. It came just days after President Trump went on another late-night tirade — this time targeting the very court that has often ruled in his favor.
On Truth Social, he called the court “inept and embarrassing,” attacked individual judges as “crooked” and “out of control,” and insisted he has the “absolute right” to impose tariffs — even after the court made clear that power belongs to Congress.
And don’t forget, after the Supreme Court struck down key parts of his sweeping tariff policy, Trump didn’t just disagree with the ruling — he went after the justices themselves.
Here’s the reality: disagreement with the Supreme Court is not new. It’s part of democracy. But what Roberts is pointing to, and what we’re seeing play out, is a shift from debating decisions to undermining the legitimacy of the people making them.
And that matters, because the judiciary doesn’t have an army. It doesn’t control the purse strings. Its authority depends almost entirely on public trust.
When that trust erodes, especially from the top down, it doesn’t just stay in the political arena. Federal judges are already reporting a rise in threats and harassment. Words don’t exist in a vacuum, especially when they come from someone with a massive platform, someone who runs the country.
Let’s not forget, this is a Supreme Court with a conservative majority that has handed Trump major wins. But when it draws a line, like it did on tariffs, reaffirming that the Constitution gives Congress the power to tax, suddenly the institution itself becomes the target.
That’s not about ideology. That’s about power. And if we get to a place where rulings are only respected when they benefit one side, then the rule of law itself starts to feel optional.
Roberts didn’t name Trump, but he didn’t have to. The warning was clear: criticism is fair game, but personal attacks that chip away at the system itself come with consequences.
Lindsey Granger is a NewsNation contributor and co-host of The Hill’s commentary show “Rising.” This column is an edited transcription of her on-air commentary.
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