Chief Justice John Roberts pushed back on the idea that justices on the Supreme Court “carry forward” the views of the presidents who appointed them, as two justices appointed by President Donald Trump have taken heat from him for striking down his sweeping tariffs last month.
Roberts, an appointee of former President George W. Bush, was asked at an event at Rice University’s Baker Institute what the biggest misconception of the high court is, leading the chief justice to dispel the idea that justices are “carrying out someone else’s views.”
“The notion that we carry forward the views of the people that appointed us is absurd,” Roberts said. “President George W. Bush appointed me 20 years ago. The idea that I’m carrying out his agenda somehow is absurd.
“The issues here now – today, nobody would have thought those were going to be a big deal 20 years ago, and history is full of examples of presidents appointing people and being really surprised how they turned out – going both ways,” Roberts said.
The chief justice explained how when someone is confirmed by the Senate to serve on the Supreme Court, he or she becomes part of a family, and that the “family” would not look kindly on someone who just carries water for a president’s agenda.
“Certainly, I’ll always be grateful for President Bush for appointing me, and I’m sure all my colleagues are grateful there,” Roberts said. “But the idea that I’m carrying out — or they’re carrying out some different agendas. Really fallacious.”
Since the Supreme Court issued its 6-3 ruling last month, finding that the International Emergency Economic Powers Act does not authorize the president to impose tariffs, Trump has offered fiery criticism of the high court.
The president has focused his sharpest criticisms on the two justices he appointed to the high court who voted to strike down his tariffs: Justices Neil Gorsuch and Amy Coney Barrett. Trump has also lauded his other appointee to the Supreme Court, Justice Brett Kavanaugh, who penned the principal dissent, saying he would have upheld the tariffs.
Trump’s latest criticism of the high court came in a Truth Social post on Sunday, in which he argued that Republican-appointed justices should “stick together” in favor of GOP causes, claiming Democrat-appointed justices always rule in favor of Democrat-aligned causes.
“The Democrats on the Court always ‘stick together,’ no matter how strong a case is put before them — There is rarely even a minor ‘waver.’ But Republicans do not do this,” Trump said. “They openly disrespect the Presidents who nominate them to the highest position in the Land, a Justice of the United States Supreme Court, and go out of their way, with bad and wrongful rulings and intentions, to prove how ‘honest,’ ‘independent,’ and ‘legitimate’ they are. The Democrat Justices just vote Democrat — They always stick together!”
SUPREME COURT TO HEAR TRUMP’S BID TO END TPS FOR HAITI AND SYRIA
Of the six justices appointed by Republican presidents, three voted to strike down the tariffs, while the other three voted to uphold the tariffs. The three justices appointed by Democratic presidents all voted to strike down the tariffs.
In the coming weeks, Trump will have two key cases before the Supreme Court. The president’s birthright citizenship executive order will be before the justices for oral arguments on April 1, while later in the month, the justices will hear arguments in a case challenging Trump’s revocation of temporary protected status for Haiti and Syria.