Roberts Defends Judiciary, Rejects Impeachment Calls Amid Trump's Criticism

Chief Justice John Roberts has strongly defended the independence of the judiciary in response to President Trump, some House Republicans, and Elon Musk calling for the impeachment of judges whose rulings have blocked aspects of Trump’s agenda. Roberts emphasized that impeachment is not an appropriate response to disagreements with judicial decisions, reiterating that the proper remedy is the appellate review process. He did not mention Trump by name but echoed his earlier rare public rebuke of the president after Trump labeled a district judge a 'Radical Left Lunatic' and called for impeachment over an immigration ruling. Roberts also highlighted the judiciary’s role as a coequal branch of government and its duty to check the excesses of Congress or the executive through independent interpretation of the Constitution. His comments come amid heightened tensions and public attacks on judges, which fellow Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson described as attacks on democracy itself. Roberts further assured that normal legal channels exist for challenging unfavorable rulings and that judicial independence remains foundational to the U.S. system.