Roberts Defends Supreme Court as Not “Political Actors” After Voting Rights Ruling

Chief Justice Roberts Says US Supreme Court Is Not Political Authored by Matthew Vadum via The Epoch Times, Chief Justice John Roberts said on May 6 that U.S. Supreme Court justices are not “political actors.” Roberts’s comments came at a conference in Hershey, Pennsylvania, attended by judges and attorneys from the jurisdictions covered by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit. That circuit encompasses Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Delaware, and the U.S. Virgin Islands. Although some of the high court’s decisions may be unpopular, they are based exclusively on the law, he said at the gathering. “I think, at a very basic level, people think we’re making policy decisions, we’re saying we think this is how things should be, as opposed to what the law provides,” said the jurist, who was appointed by President George W. Bush in 2005. “I think they view us as purely political actors, which I don’t think is an accurate understanding of what we do.” Roberts’s speech came at a time when public confidence in the Supreme Court is at a low ebb, and a week after the court issued a ruling that changed how the federal Voting Rights Act is interpreted. Roberts was part of the court’s majority on April 29 when it ruled 6–3 in Louisiana v. Callais that race may only be a minor factor in redistricting rationales, and may not be the predominant, overriding reason for how congressional district lines are drawn. The justices struck down a federal district judge’s decision that created a second black-majority congressional district in Louisiana. The judge had ruled the electoral district was needed to comply with anti-discrimination provisions of the Voting Rights Act. The ruling has spurred a new round of mid-decade redistricting efforts, largely in Republican-dominated state legislatures around the country. In the past few years, the Supreme Court has also issued rulings striking down the constitutional right to abortion, strengthening gun rights, weakening the powers of federal agencies, and getting rid of affirmative action in higher education admissions. Roberts avoided mentioning any specific rulings in his presentation, but stressed that the court is “simply not part of the political process.” He said the court’s formal, written opinions are based on the Constitution. “One thing we have to do is make decisions that are unpopular,” Roberts said. The chief justice said criticism should be aimed at rulings, instead of individuals in the form of personal attacks. He denounced the rhetorical targeting of lower court judges. “That’s not appropriate, and it can lead to very serious problems,” Roberts said. Weeks ago, Roberts said that personal criticism of federal judges imperils the judiciary. Although criticism of judicial opinions “comes with the territory” and can be healthy, “personally directed hostility is dangerous and it’s got to stop,” he told an audience at Rice University in Houston, Texas, on March 17. As the chief justice of the United States, Roberts presides over Supreme Court oral arguments and oversees the entire federal judiciary. Tyler Durden Thu, 05/07/2026 - 21:45

The chief justice defends court’s impartiality after decisions on abortion, presidential immunity and voting rightsUS chief justice John Roberts has insisted supreme court judges are not “political actors” amid outrage over its recent decision undermining the Voting Right Act, and other moves that have benefited Donald Trump and his allies.“I think, at a very basic level, people think we’re making policy decisions, we’re saying we think this is how things should be, as opposed to what the law provides,” Roberts told a conference for judges and lawyers in Hershey, Pennsylvania, on Wednesday, according to the Associated Press. “I think they view us as purely political actors, which I don’t think is an accurate understanding of what we do.” Continue reading...

Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts said Wednesday that the nation’s highest court doesn’t feature “purely political actors,” comments that come after a notable decision affecting the Voting Rights Act. “I think, at a very basic level, people think we’re making policy decisions, we’re saying we think this is how things should be, as opposed...