Speaking Tuesday at Temple Emanu-El, Chief Justice John Roberts defended the independence of the Court.
“They have their job to do and you have to recognize that,” Roberts said of Congress and the White House. “In our branch, our job is to interpret the law and ensure compliance with the Constitution.”
“I’ve been elected by nobody,” Roberts added, touting both a spirit of independence and of humility, which he said he applies to issues involving public officials who have been elected by “millions of people.”
ABC:
Justice Roberts comments came after Speaker Pelosi announced the House of Representatives would launch a formal impeachment inquiry on Trump.
Justice Roberts never mentioned Trump by name nor did he bring up the impeachment. He simply wanted to convey the message that his Court is not partisan and all those 5-4 rulings along partisan lines were simply not partisan but the Court’s interpretation of the law and Constitution.
His comments also reflected upon an exchange he and Trump had in November 2018 over Trump’s “criticism of federal judges as politically biased.”
“We do not have Obama judges or Trump judges, Bush judges or Clinton judges,” Roberts said at the time, in a rare statement issued in response to Trump. “What we have is an extraordinary group of dedicated judges doing their level best to do equal right to those appearing before them.”
