this post was submitted on 07 May 2026
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In remarks at a judicial conference, Roberts bemoaned what he characterized as the American public’s misconceptions about the Supreme Court.

Chief Justice John Roberts on Wednesday defended the Supreme Court from what he believes are misconceptions held by the American people that he and his colleagues are “political actors” who are making decisions based on policy, not law.

Roberts is a member of the court’s 6-3 conservative majority, which has moved federal law to the right on a number of weighty issues in recent years, such as abortion and gun rights.

The court has also in several cases weakened the landmark Voting Rights Act of 1965, including in a ruling last week that led to outrage and disappointment on the left.

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[–] WandowsVista@lemmy.world 11 points 1 hour ago
[–] Mantzy81@aussie.zone 6 points 57 minutes ago

If it walks, talks and looks like a political shill...

[–] Janx@piefed.social 10 points 1 hour ago

Undoing decades of settled law to strip rights from women, minorities, and everyone else. You're damn right we view you as political. You're a disgrace to the law and should be impeached yesterday.

[–] MehBlah@lemmy.world 17 points 1 hour ago

Spare us your denial asshole. We are knee deep in the bullshit you have created already.

[–] BarneyPiccolo@lemmy.cafe 27 points 2 hours ago (1 children)

His name will forever represent the most corrupt SCOTUS in history, and he's trying to mitigate that despicable legacy.

[–] CharlesDarwin@lemmy.world 5 points 1 hour ago (1 children)

Just like PEDOnald will represent the worst president in history - at least so far.

[–] BarneyPiccolo@lemmy.cafe 5 points 1 hour ago (1 children)

He better be the worst in history, we couldn't survive anyone worse.

[–] Jax@sh.itjust.works 0 points 22 minutes ago

To put things in perspective.

About 40% of the then population of the American colonies were Patriots and fought against the British in the revolutionary war. The war itself functioned like a civil war.

Roughly 40% of the population of the current United States supports Trump, not perfectly unwavering support but pretty staunch nonetheless. The remaining 60% are too busy thinking that their problems are the ones that need to be addressed first and a staggering number of those people are perfectly willing to throw away decent compromise simply because they weren't perfectly satiated.

All of this to say: Trump is the tip of the iceberg.

[–] captainlezbian@lemmy.world 2 points 45 minutes ago

Oh, then give us back voting rights, abortion, and presidential accountability

[–] mcv@lemmy.zip 4 points 1 hour ago

If you don't want to be seen as political actors, don't act like political actors.

[–] ryper@lemmy.ca 29 points 3 hours ago

The Republican justices thought December was too close to the election to do anything about Texas's gerrymandering that favored white poeple/Republicans, but somehow last week wasn't too close to the election to shoot down Louisiana's changes that boosted minorities. That's pretty clearly policy at work, not the law.

[–] ChunkMcHorkle@lemmy.world 22 points 3 hours ago

Just a reminder that between his Ivy League connections, his Reagan/Bush services, and Chief Justice Rehnquist's untimely demise, Mr. Non-Political-Actor here went from mere well-placed attorney to Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States in less than five years, mostly by way of his work on Bush v. Gore in 2000.

Not a political actor, lol.

[–] themaninblack@lemmy.world 4 points 2 hours ago

What does he think he’s doing by constantly complaining about this?

Justices definitely consider their words before speaking. What could possibly be the reason beyond letting off steam… repetitively and publicly?

Is it to tamp down public criticism of the court? If so, who cares? It won’t work, and they have lifetime appointments.

Is it out of guilt because the assertion is obviously factually untrue?

Maybe some of these guys just watch way too much Fox News and conservative media. They’ve been airing grievances just like these outlets. LOOKING AT YOU ALITO

[–] LuminousLuddite@lemmy.world 5 points 2 hours ago

Chief Justice John Roberts wrongly says some bullshit that is wrong.

[–] sturmblast@lemmy.world 3 points 2 hours ago* (last edited 2 hours ago)

... Perhaps stop acting like them then

[–] CharlesDarwin@lemmy.world 1 points 1 hour ago

Oh my sweet summer child.

I mean, if he actually believes that. Which I don't think he does.

[–] AllNewTypeFace@leminal.space 19 points 5 hours ago

Roberts, in a hot-dog costume, trying to figure out who did this

[–] PumpkinSkink@lemmy.world 17 points 5 hours ago (3 children)

I often wonder if they believe this themselves, or if they just cynically say crap like this out of contempt for people.

[–] prole@lemmy.blahaj.zone 1 points 46 minutes ago

Roberts is an enigma to me.

For Alito and Thomas, it's clearly contempt. Roberts seems like he thinks he's somehow doing the right thing?

Or maybe that's just his mind's defense mechanism. Because accepting the reality of what he has done to this country is just too much

[–] 4grams@lemmy.world 4 points 2 hours ago

It’s contempt, they all belive they are better than us, that by saying nothing it makes it true. They know they are lying but they are in positions of power that no longer require their honesty. Lying is more lucrative.

[–] teyrnon@sh.itjust.works 4 points 3 hours ago

They think the republic is already dead. They are playing the sheep for their masters, to live out their lives in imperial splendor as they betray their country and oaths.

[–] 2piradians@lemmy.world 22 points 6 hours ago

Is it true?

Could I really have lost touch with the tenets of this office?

No. it's the citizens who are wrong.

[–] TryingToBeGood@reddthat.com 5 points 4 hours ago
[–] phutatorius@lemmy.zip 32 points 7 hours ago (1 children)

How fucking patronising.

The most political Supreme Court justice is trying to claim he's not? He can pound his shadow docket up his ass sideways.

[–] teyrnon@sh.itjust.works 3 points 3 hours ago

Alito and Thomas are the most political hands down, so far.

[–] DandomRude@piefed.social 42 points 8 hours ago* (last edited 8 hours ago) (1 children)

Does anyone still remember that the Supreme Court - which already included a certain Clarence Thomas at the time -ensured during the 2000 election that the votes in Florida would not be recounted, thereby guaranteeing that Bush Jr. would become president?

I would certainly say that this is exactly how a political actor behaves.

[–] teyrnon@sh.itjust.works 2 points 3 hours ago (1 children)

Let's also remember the deciding vote on handing the 2000 election to the devil, which lost, was the now lionized Ruth Bader Ginsburg. Notorious indeed. You can draw a straight line from their successful steal of 2000 to 2020 and now.

[–] prole@lemmy.blahaj.zone 1 points 44 minutes ago

I think most people have soured a bit on Ginsberg after she refused to retire, only to die under Trump

[–] rangber@lemmy.zip 66 points 10 hours ago* (last edited 10 hours ago) (1 children)

Given everything they have done, why pretend anymore? I honestly don't know who they are trying to impress. They know they are succeeding at eroding democracy. Congrats. You're on the team now. So wear your T-shirt.

[–] turtlesareneat@piefed.ca 11 points 2 hours ago

Roberts is fascinating, he really truly believes he can escape with an intact legacy while simultaneously overseeing the final destruction of the functional democracy that was the US. It kind of speaks to the mentality deep down, they don't really understand the finality and monumentality of their actions, and where it's going to lead us. But his legacy is secure: one of the most destructive men who was ever a part of our Republic.

[–] hperrin@lemmy.ca 84 points 11 hours ago

Oh fuck all the way off you political hack. You’re playing for a very specific team, and that team is not us.

[–] tidderuuf@lemmy.world 87 points 11 hours ago (2 children)

Bro knows he's facing a political shit storm with whatever the results of the midterms are.

[–] arrow74@lemmy.zip 2 points 58 minutes ago

Dems would have to get a supermajority to start removing justices or start doing anything since we know Trump will veto the bills.

[–] HeyThisIsntTheYMCA@lemmy.world 0 points 8 hours ago

I wish that started with a G or possibly Double T but the Statesian public has no taste for creative justice

[–] davidagain@lemmy.world 21 points 9 hours ago

Awww, did some nasty journalist say that you volunteer to wear a leash for Trump daily? Diddums. You used to think you were cleverly manipulating the constitution behind the scenes for your own political ends and were being subtle about it, but now everyone says you're his bitch and you know full well he's a moron who shouldn't be in charge of you, so you lost any self respect you ever had because you realised Trump has no less contempt for you than he has for any temporarily useful stupid idiot who swallowed his lies and was used by him to cement power and stroke his own ego.

[–] Clent@lemmy.dbzer0.com 38 points 11 hours ago (1 children)

No one is accusing them of being political actors. That's not how the court system works. The fact that he claims that is an effort to play everyone for fools.

They are however partisan hacks.

[–] yesman@lemmy.world 37 points 10 hours ago

They are however partisan hacks.

It's worse than that, they're actively corrupt. Robert's or Alito's Judicial philosophy is as irrelevant as Thomas' racial identity; they believe in getting paid.

[–] DomeGuy@lemmy.world 22 points 11 hours ago

We know Roberts isnt playing politics. He thinks he's a priest-king who can dictate his own beliefs as inarguable decree.

It would be one thing if he followed the history of the court and was bound by precedent, but letting six functionaries who were specifically asked about abortion and made unambiguous promises to respect it overturn the recognized right of bodily autonomy has made every right Americans enjoy subject to judicial nullification

The only sane thing is to specifically take away judicial supremacy, and restore the unelected academics to a subordinate role deferential to the actually elected branches of our government. Sure, wed essentially give up any hope of free speech or marriage rights or religious liberty being out of the each of Congress, but better a Congress who can be voted out than judges who arent protecting those rights anyway.

[–] Deadeyegai@lemmy.world 14 points 10 hours ago

Gosh, of only there was a way to dispel this supposed "wrong" view...

[–] resipsaloquitur@lemmy.cafe 11 points 11 hours ago (1 children)
[–] davidagain@lemmy.world 9 points 9 hours ago* (last edited 9 hours ago) (1 children)

More of a liar than an idiot in this case.

But ruling that the supreme court can't intervene over Trump's official acts, that was stupid. That was stupid in the extreme.

[–] Serinus@lemmy.world 3 points 8 hours ago (1 children)

They believe they can defuse that at the time of their choosing.

[–] davidagain@lemmy.world 4 points 8 hours ago

They do, but he's realising now that he has made himself impotent and Trump correctly fully expects him to do whatever fucknonsense his whims lead him to.

[–] davidagain@lemmy.world 3 points 8 hours ago* (last edited 7 hours ago)

Lady Justice and the Constitution were your personal plaything, Roberts, but you prostituted them for Trump and now that you've made them completely subservient to his crazy stupid nastiness, you've realised he doesn't need your permission for anything anymore and just expects your compliance. You're his toy now and you want the American people, who you fucked over for decades, to supply the respect for the constitution and the law that you squandered so fully?

[–] Tylerdurdon@lemmy.world 9 points 11 hours ago (1 children)

Put your money where your mouth is.

[–] eyelevel@lemmy.world 10 points 10 hours ago

Other people are putting their money where his mouth is already.

[–] Lydon_Feen@lemmy.world 5 points 9 hours ago

They're not political actors.

They're political sheep.

[–] kurmudgeon@lemmy.world 4 points 9 hours ago

Oh, go fuck yourself, Roberts, you right-wing cuck!