Supreme Court

John Roberts Overruled Trump's Tariffs. But He Can't Seem To Stop Trump's Ballroom.

The chief justice finds himself in dissent in his latest showdown with the president.

Damon Root | 9.3.2026 7:00 AM

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(Photo: Annabelle Gordon - Pool via CNP/picture alliance/Consolidated News Photos/Jessica Koscielniak - Pool via CNP/MEGA/RSSIL/Newscom.)

One of John Roberts' responsibilities as chief justice of the United States is to write an annual "Year End Report on the Federal Judiciary." The 2025 edition of that report, which came out at the very end of last year, makes for interesting reading in light of what has happened at the U.S. Supreme Court so far this year.

"The Declaration [of Independence] charged that George III 'has made Judges dependent on his Will alone, for the tenure of their offices, and the amount and payment of their salaries,'" Roberts observed in his 2025 report. "The Constitution corrected this flaw, granting life tenure and salary protection to safeguard the independence of federal judges and ensure their ability to serve as a counter-majoritarian check on the political branches. This arrangement, now in place for 236 years, has served the country well."

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