Chief Justice Roberts Rebuffs Trump After He Criticizes Judges Again

“We do not have Obama judges or Trump judges, Bush
judges or Clinton judges,” Chief Justice John Roberts Jr. said
Wednesday, responding to new criticism from Trump about a judge in
California who ruled against his asylum restrictions.

In a rare rebuke, Chief Justice John Roberts Jr. on Wednesday
defended the nation’s independent judiciary against President
Donald Trump’s attack on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth
Circuit and an “Obama judge” for delivering an “automatic loss” to
cases brought by the Trump administration.

“We do not have Obama judges or Trump judges, Bush judges or
Clinton judges,” Roberts said in a statement issued by the court.
“What we have is an extraordinary group of dedicated judges doing
their level best to do equal right to those appearing before them.
That independent judiciary is something we should all be thankful
for.”

Roberts has been mostly silent after previous criticisms voiced
by Trump against the judiciary, but Trump’s angry statements
Tuesday apparently crossed a line.

“I’m going to put in a major complaint, because you cannot
win—if you’re us—a case in the 9th Circuit and I think it’s a
disgrace,” Trump said as he left for Florida.
He was responding to a question about the ruling issued by U.S.
District Judge Jon Tigar of the Northern District of California
ordering a resumption of accepting asylum claims regardless of
where the claimants entered the United States.

“When people file—every case gets filed in the 9th Circuit
because they know—that’s not law. That’s not what this country
stands for,” Trump told reporters. “They file it in what’s called
the 9th Circuit. This was an Obama judge. And I’ll tell you what,
it’s not going to happen like this anymore.”

Trump continued, “The 9th Circuit is really something we have to
take a look at because it’s — because it’s not fair. People should
not be allowed to immediately run to this very friendly circuit and
file their case.”

Trump also said that when the asylum case makes its way to the
Supreme Court, “we will win.”

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