Summary

Chief Justice John Roberts issued a rare rebuke after Trump called for impeaching judges who ruled against him.

Roberts defended judicial independence, but critics argue his court’s rulings have shielded Trump from accountability, enabling his authoritarian tendencies.

Trump ignored a federal court order blocking migrant deportations, prompting legal scrutiny. Judges facing threats highlight growing concerns over the judiciary’s role in checking executive power.

With a conservative Supreme Court majority, questions remain over whether Roberts will continue enabling Trump’s power or push back against further erosion of judicial authority.

  • SkilurosEnglish
    271·
    18 hours ago

    I wouldn’t call it buyer’s remorse.

    Let me share a hot take based on my experience of living in the US, Ukraine and Russia (and closely following politics).

    There are two factors that are likely driving Roberts’ behaviour:

    1. They need an alibi. They need something that can differentiate them from the current oligarch regime in the US. While the US is a pretty conformist country (not saying the most conformist there is, but far more conformist than the popularity of recital of freedom polemics would suggest), you always have the possibility of black swan type events. One example would be Trump and his close associates being taken down in a forceful and public manner. The judicial wing of the oligarchic regime wants a failsafe, something that would allow them to say “we are not oligarch shills, we were just following a conservative judicial philosophy, it is not our fault that it was exploited by bad actors!” They are smart enough to know that if black swan type events do happen, they often take a life of their own and all bets are off. They want an exit strategy.
    2. Judicial independence. I don’t mean this in the American sense of the term. I am talking about different power centres within an oligarchic regime. Let’s take russia for example. Even though it’s a highly centralized regime, it still has different power centres. The russian central bank has a modicum of independence. Different cliques in the power structures (and there are many cliques) have their own agenda and capabilities. Regional warlords (Kadyrov being the most well know, but he is not the only one) do have some manner of leverage in the system. The oligarchs, while being banned from politics, do have freedom in how they run their businesses. The one notable example without any leverage is the russian judicial system. They are little more than rubber stamp goons with no independent power. Roberts does not want to turn into Judge Ivan of Govnogorsk. He needs to show the other power centres in America’s oligarch regime that cooperation has a price and that other thugs need to show him respect.
    • limer@lemmy.dbzer0.comEnglish
      14·
      18 hours ago

      The more I observe American politics the more I realize all three countries you mention have more in common than many want to acknowledge.

      Especially the taboos about speaking of certain political truths. Americans are more Russian than most other countries

      • ℍ𝕂-𝟞𝟝@sopuli.xyzEnglish
        1·
        8 hours ago

        Or it may be that we in the West are not exceptional, Russians are also just people, and it can happen to any country that is not willing to resist it.

        • limer@lemmy.dbzer0.comEnglish
          1·
          7 hours ago

          Yes and no? Both are large areas of land of scattered and mixed populations held together by political strangeness that is surprisingly robust.

          Both seem easy to understand , however in closer inspection are misunderstood by most, even by their own citizens.