'Endangered': Justice John Roberts takes apparent swing at Trump
Chief Justice John Roberts took an apparent swing at President Donald Trump Monday as he warned that America's justice system was "endangered" — and took particular aim at attacks on judges.
Though Trump wasn't named by the justice, he has openly targeted judges in the multiple criminal and civil cases he has faced, as well as judges ruling on parts of his agenda. Some of this attacks have contributed to death threats.
Roberts, an extremely conservative justice, was speaking to Georgetown Law students Monday, according to Politico.
He made clear the public perception of the judiciary is not always as “toxic” as it may seem.
“We have to work together on these things that are difficult. You find a way to get along,” Roberts said. “It’s a long job. If you’re sort of really at each other’s throats with bad feelings and stuff like that, it just — it’s not a good way to function. … We do have to address some very, very difficult things, and we’re the only people who are doing it.”
He added, the fact that the justices “disagree a lot” does not mean there is personal animosity within the Supreme Court.
Politico reported, “Roberts described the rule of law as ‘endangered’” and he admonished “trashing the justices.”
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“The notion that [the] rule of law governs is the basic proposition,” Roberts said. “Certainly as a matter of theory, but also as a matter of practice, we need to stop and reflect every now and then how rare that is, certainly rare throughout history, and rare in the world today.”
Roberts did not “point fingers” directly at Trump for publicly denouncing judges.
Roberts did however, point the finger at schools for “shortchanging civics education.”
“We’re developing a situation where a whole group of young people is growing up having no real sense about how our system of justice works,” the justice said.
According to Politico, during the event, “Roberts signaled that he has no plans to step down from the court,” for the second time in a week.