SCOTUS C.J. John Roberts is bummed out & “warned a group of graduating laws students that the rule of law is ‘endangered.’” [FN1] As C.J., Johnny Bob’s duty is to know the gen’l state of our legal system. [FN2] The rule of law is a principle of our judicial system. [FN3] 1/14

Roberts has an intimate familiarity w/events that placed the rule of law in peril. For 20 years, he has overseen right-wing efforts to pack SCOTUS & return us to a time when rights of white males [FN4] were protected, but rights of others, not so much. 2/15

Equality under the law took a hit in Citizens United v FEC, a decision that wiped out over a century of efforts to limit money’s influence on elections & held that limits on political spending of corporations & unions violate the First Amendment. [FN5] Still, there were limits. 3/15

The rule of law relies on the notion of equal treatment. Richard Nixon, after leaving office, said “Well, when the president does it … that means that it is not illegal.” [FN6] His answer seemed as bizarre as it was extreme. Then, last July, “bizarre” and “extreme” became reality. 4/15

Johnny Bob, writing for a 6-3 GOP majority that is “the Roberts Court,” conferred an absurd blanket of immunity on a President. [FN7] Roberts is bummed the Court now is getting disrespected by people in trump’s organization. AG Pam Bondi? Called judges 5/15

who uphold due process rights of migrants “deranged” & she’s threatened to arrest them. WH Dep Chief of Staff Stephen Miller said “communist judges” are trying to shut down our nat’l security apparatus. [FN8] Not long ago, things were so sweet. After the SOTU, 6/15

trump said to Roberts, “Thank you again. Thank you again. Won’t forget it.” Like from a movie about the Mob, but w/o an envelope full of cash passed from trump. Johnny Bob should realize, you don’t really get their respect. Standing up for the rest of the Court, he says 7/15

criticism of the Court is a good thing,”‘so long as it is not trashing the justices.’” His “remarks seemed to focus” on specific attacks against his colleague.” That was Justice Barrett, who has caught flak for “twice siding” w/ the court’s 3 liberals & voting against trump 8/15

administration policies. [FN9] You know, Barrett can do that, and not because she has a mind of her own. She was shoved onto that Court after RBG’s death to do the hit on Roe. She answered untruthfully in confirmation hearings about “precedential authority.” 9/15

She can act concerned about fairness on the Court all she wants. She’s a diversion while the 5-4 majority rules for the far right. And Roberts can cry and moan all he wants about the rule of law being endangered. After all, without him,.it wouldn’t have been possible. 10/15

Footnotes:
FN1. Brancolini, Janna, “Chief Supreme Court Justice Gives Biggest Sign Yet of Trump Disapproval,” The Daily Beast, 5/13/25. 11/15

FN2. C.J.’s duties include assigning Justices to the circuits” & “administrative leadership of the entire federal judicial system.” Supreme Court Historical Society, “How The Court Works — The Chief Justice’s Role,” accessed 5/13/25. 12/15

FN3. Rule of law is principle that all persons, institutions, and entities are accountable to laws that are publicly promulgated, equally enforced, independently adjudicated, & consistent w/intern’l human rights principles. U.S. Courts, “Overview - Rule of Law,” accessed 5/13/25. 13/15

FN4. Not all white males enjoyed such protections, e.g., Jews, Muslims, gays.
FN5. Citizens United v. FEC, 558 U.S. 310 (2010). Kennedy, J., wrote the opinion for a 5-4 majority, in which Roberts joined. 14/15

FN6. Source: Sir David Frost, Frost/Nixon: Behind the Scenes of the Nixon Interviews (New York: Harper Perennial, 2007), 254-6, 266-71. accessed 5/13/25.
FN7. Trump v. United States, docket 23-939 (2024).
FN8. Id., footnote 1.
FN9. Id. 15/15