Donald Trump won't be thanking John Roberts
Tariff ruling ruptures relations between chief justice and president
Nearly a year ago, President Donald Trump shook hands with Chief Justice John Roberts in the well of the House Chamber.
“Thank you again, thank you again,” the president said to Roberts, patting his black-robed arm. “Won’t forget it.”
The president was basking in the glow of his March 4 speech to a joint session of Congress, thanking and accepting greetings from justices, generals and members of his cabinet and Congress. Observers tried to parse his interaction with the chief justice.
What was the “it” Trump said he won’t forget? Some observers suggested his gratitude was to Roberts for writing the court’s 2024 decision granting presidents absolute immunity from prosecution for actions taken in their official capacity. Trump explained later that he was merely thanking Roberts for swearing him in on Inauguration Day.
Whatever the reason, “The exchange was so awkward,” Adam Serwer wrote in The Atlantic, “it shoul…
