Chief Justice John Roberts has emerged from his ivory tower with a sanctimonious lecture for the American people, urging citizens to "dial back personal attacks on judges" and show more respect for the federal judiciary. The timing couldn't be more rich – or hypocritical.
This is the same John Roberts who has presided over a Supreme Court that, until recently, consistently ruled against constitutional principles while protecting the Administrative State. The same Roberts who cast the deciding vote to save ObamaCare by rewriting the law from the bench. The same Roberts who has watched lower courts issue nationwide injunctions against President Trump's policies based on pure partisan politics.
Now, with Trump back in the White House and conservative justices finally checking judicial activism, Roberts wants to play the role of concerned statesman worried about "decorum."
Where Was This Concern During the Anti-Trump Resistance?
For four years during Trump's first term, federal judges – many appointed by Obama and Clinton – turned courtrooms into resistance headquarters. They blocked immigration enforcement, overturned election integrity measures, and issued sweeping rulings that had no basis in law or precedent.
Roberts remained silent when leftist protesters surrounded Justice Brett Kavanaugh's home. He said nothing when Chuck Schumer threatened Justices Gorsuch and Kavanaugh by name on the Supreme Court steps. But now that conservatives are pushing back against judicial tyranny, suddenly he's worried about "respect."
"The message landed with a tone of concern, almost paternal, as if the country had suddenly lost its bearings and needed a reminder about decorum," according to reports.
Patriots see right through this charade. Roberts isn't concerned about respect for the judiciary – he's concerned about accountability. With Trump's second-term agenda moving full speed ahead, activist judges can no longer count on public deference to their politically motivated rulings.
The American people have learned to distinguish between legitimate judicial authority and partisan activism dressed up in robes. Roberts' plea for "restraint" sounds less like statesmanship and more like damage control from a chief justice who knows his institution's credibility hangs by a thread.
Maybe instead of lecturing Americans about respect, Roberts should focus on cleaning house and ensuring federal judges actually follow the Constitution. Until then, his calls for deference ring hollow.