John Roberts has badly weakened our democracy. Will he ever stand up to Trump? | Steven Greenhouse

John Roberts' Two Decades of Weakening Democracy

For over two decades, John Roberts has served as chief justice of the US Supreme Court, projecting an image of being the ultimate institutionalist in his quest to safeguard American democracy. However, beneath this façade lies a more sinister reality - that of a chief justice who has actively worked to dismantle some of the most vital institutions that underpin our democratic system.

Roberts' approach to judicial decision-making has been marked by a myopic focus on partisan gerrymandering, which has allowed state legislatures to manipulate congressional elections with impunity. His majority decision in Rucho v Common Cause effectively gutted federal courts' ability to intervene in extreme partisan gerrymandering, paving the way for hyper-partisan redistricting that disenfranchises voters and creates absurdly unrepresentative electoral districts.

Furthermore, Roberts' leadership on the court has led to a disastrous Citizens United decision, which demolished our country's campaign finance system. By overturning most contribution limits on the wealthy and business interests, Roberts effectively turned our democratic process into an 'anything-goes cesspool' where billionaires like Elon Musk and Larry Ellison can donate millions of dollars to presidential campaigns.

The Voting Rights Act has also suffered under Roberts' leadership, with his majority opinion in Shelby County v Holder overturning two key sections of the act that empowered the federal government to block states with discriminatory voting maps. This decision weakened protections for minority voters, allowing southern states with large African American populations to adopt voting maps that systematically disenfranchise Black people.

In recent emergency docket decisions, Roberts has signaled his willingness to undermine independent federal agencies like the Federal Trade Commission and the National Labor Relations Board. His suggested reversal of a 90-year-old supreme court precedent could give President Trump unprecedented authority to fire agency officials without cause, turning these agencies into partisan instruments under his control.

Moreover, Roberts' recent rulings have severely undercut Congress's spending powers, effectively handing Trump a green light to gut vital government programs like the Department of Education. His decision in Trump v United States also gave Trump sweeping immunity from prosecution if he engages in crimes, raising serious concerns about accountability and the rule of law.

Perhaps most alarmingly, Roberts' court has become increasingly partisan, with its decisions often seen as boosting Republicans' chances in elections. In recent years, the court has ruled wholly or partially in Trump's favor on 20 out of 23 emergency docket cases concerning his administrative actions.

The bottom line is that under John Roberts, the Supreme Court has gone to great lengths to weaken the pillars of our democracy. By prioritizing partisan interests over democratic values, Roberts' leadership has emboldened an authoritarian president and empowered special interests to dominate our electoral system. If left unchecked, this erosion of democratic norms could have catastrophic consequences for American democracy.

However, it is not too late for Roberts to redeem his reputation and legacy by taking decisive action against Trump's lawlessness. The recent tariffs case signals a glimmer of hope that the court may begin to develop a backbone and issue rulings that curb Trump's power grab. If this is just the beginning of a shift towards more principled decision-making, it could be a crucial turning point in restoring democratic norms to our highest court.

Im worried about what's going on with John Roberts and the Supreme Court... They've been letting politicians like Trump get away with some super sketchy stuff, like undermining voting rights and giving agencies to special interests . It feels like they're more interested in keeping the status quo than actually protecting democracy . I mean, can't we expect more from our highest court? The guy's been on the job for 20 years and it's time for him to make some changes... or is he just going through the motions?

I'm kinda worried about what's been happening on the US Supreme Court under Chief Justice Roberts' leadership... It seems like he's prioritizing partisan interests over democracy and that's not cool . Gerrymandering, Citizens United, and weakening the Voting Rights Act are just a few examples of how the court has been used to undermine democratic institutions.

I think it's time for someone to hold him accountable, maybe even himself . His recent decisions have shown that he's willing to go against his own ideals if it means getting along with politicians like Trump.

If the court is gonna be a check on democracy, it needs to start making some tough calls . Roberts' willingness to undermine independent agencies and let the president run wild could have serious consequences for the country .

It's scary when you think about how far we've come under his leadership... But if he starts taking a more principled approach, that would be a huge step in the right direction .

I mean think about it, what's going on with John Roberts and the US Supreme Court? It seems like he's been playing both sides, you know? On one hand, he's got this image of being all about protecting American democracy, but on the other hand, his decisions have been super biased towards Republicans. Like, what happened to being impartial?

And have you seen those voting maps that southern states are using? They're basically designed to disenfranchise African Americans! That's not right. I mean, we need fair and equal representation in our government. It's like, the Voting Rights Act was put in place for a reason, you know?

I'm also concerned about these agencies being undermined by the court. What if it's just another way to give politicians more power? Like, shouldn't they be held accountable by something other than the whims of a president?

And those tariffs... maybe that's a sign of things changing? Could Roberts' court finally start making some principled decisions and not just catering to partisan interests? Fingers crossed!

i mean think about it... john roberts has been on the supreme court for 20 years and it's like he's been secretly working with trump all along his decisions have basically let trump get away with everything from gerrymandering to gutting vital government programs and now we're paying the price... it's time for him to step up and take on trump's lawlessness if not, then roberts' legacy will be one of a chief justice who prioritized party over people

I mean, you can't really trust someone who's been serving as chief justice for 20 years and still manages to surprise us with their blatant disregard for democracy . I guess you could say they've been doing a great job of weakening the very foundations of American democracy - isn't that just what we need from our leaders? It's not like special interests are getting exactly what they want or anything... oh wait, they totally are .

And let's be real, 20 out of 23 emergency docket cases where the court rules in Trump's favor is not exactly a ringing endorsement of impartiality . But hey, who needs checks and balances when you have a Supreme Court that's basically just a rubber stamp for partisan interests?

Still, I suppose there is some hope on the horizon... or at least, that's what the tariffs case suggests . Maybe Roberts has finally found his inner "justice" (get it?) and will start making decisions that actually serve the greater good. Stranger things have happened, right?

.. the state of politics in the US right now is really worrying . I mean, John Roberts has been on the Supreme Court for 20 years and you'd think he'd be all about protecting democracy but it's like he's actually weakening it . Gerrymandering, Citizens United, the Voting Rights Act... these are all major issues that are being ignored or even actively worked against.

And what really gets me is how partisan his decisions are becoming . It's not just about following the law, it's about supporting one side of the aisle over the other. That's not what justice should be about at all . And with Trump in office, he's got an awful lot of power and influence... it's like the system is basically just being rigged against everyone else .

I'm not sure what the solution is here, but we need to do something about this ASAP . We can't keep just sitting back and letting our democracy get undermined by one person's interpretation of the law . Maybe it's time for a shake-up in Washington or maybe it's just time for us as citizens to wake up and start paying attention again .

I'm telling you, this guy Roberts has got some serious skeletons in his closet. Two decades on the Supreme Court and he's still whacko about partisan gerrymandering? It's like he's playing a game of electoral chess with the country as his pawn. And don't even get me started on Citizens United – that decision is just a recipe for corruption and special interests running amok. It's like he's got a death wish for American democracy. I'm seriously hoping someone gives him a taste of their own medicine in that tariffs case... maybe it's time for some accountability around here!

Ugh I'm getting so sick of Roberts' actions as Chief Justice he's basically gutted the very foundations of democracy in America, all while pretending to be some kind of hero . Gerrymandering, Citizens United, Shelby County v Holder... it's all just a bunch of partisan nonsense that benefits the wealthy and powerful at the expense of ordinary people . And don't even get me started on his decision to shield Trump from prosecution, that's just a slap in the face to anyone who believes in accountability . I mean what's next? Is he going to start packing the court with more Trump sycophants? The whole thing is just infuriating and it feels like we're watching democracy slowly erode away . Can someone please just take him down a peg already?

This chief justice has been secretly working against democracy for years . He's allowing politicians to mess around with voting districts and that's just not right . And don't even get me started on campaign finance - it's like he wants billionaires to have more control over our elections . I'm starting to think that the whole "independent" thing is just a myth . It's time for someone to take action and hold him accountable . Maybe this recent case about tariffs is a sign that he's finally getting his act together . Fingers crossed!

Roberts' track record is super worrying . He's essentially giving Trump free rein to dismantle democracy . Gerrymandering, Citizens United, Voting Rights Act... all being quietly dismantled . It's like he's playing a game of whack-a-mole with democratic institutions . The court should be protecting our rights, not further empowering special interests . If Roberts can't take on Trump's antics, what's the point of having a Supreme Court at all?

I'm totally on board with this critique... wait, no, scratch that - not entirely. While Roberts' record on gerrymandering and Citizens United is indeed concerning , I'm not sure if he's the mastermind behind it all . Maybe it's more about the system as a whole being flawed ? On the other hand, his role in undermining voting rights protections and gutting government programs like the Department of Education is straight up alarming . At the same time... I don't want to dismiss Roberts' potential for redemption . After all, he's shown some willingness to push back against Trump in certain cases . But can we really trust his judicial philosophy? Maybe it's a case of "the devil you know" vs "the devil you don't" ?

I'm really worried about what's been happening with John Roberts at the Supreme Court . I mean, he's always been supposed to be this impartial leader, but from what I've seen, he's actually just as bad as Trump . He's gotta admit, those gerrymandering decisions were a major problem, and Citizens United was like pouring gasoline on the electoral system .

But then again, maybe Roberts is just trying to make a point about keeping politics out of the judiciary? Maybe his willingness to step in on some of these issues shows he's still got it . I guess what really gets me is how we can't even trust Congress to regulate its own spending anymore .

And don't even get me started on the Voting Rights Act – Roberts' decision was like a slap in the face for minority voters . But, I suppose his recent tariffs case could be the start of something positive? Maybe the court is finally starting to wake up and do some real justice .

I mean, what's clear is that we need more checks on power at all levels of government . Maybe Roberts just needs a little push in the right direction to make some bold moves .

omg i'm literally shaking right now i don't even know where to begin with this guy john roberts he's like literally destroying democracy one decision at a time and it's just soooo not okay first off partisan gerrymandering is a HUGE issue and roberts' decision in rucho v common cause basically allowed states to manipulate elections however they want and then there's the whole campaign finance thing which lets billionaires like elon musk run amok and it's just so corrupt and can we talk about how he weakened the voting rights act too i mean i know some people might say it's not all his fault but come on john roberts has been on the court for 20 years and you would think by now he'd have a better handle on these issues anyway i'm keeping my fingers crossed that there's gonna be some real change soon maybe roberts will finally develop a backbone

omg i'm so late to the party i was out of the loop and didn't even know john roberts was serving for 20 yrs now i'm seeing all this info about him weakening democracy and it's super concerning his decisions on gerrymandering, campaign finance and voting rights are straight up messed up i mean who does he think he is, dismantling the very foundations of our democracy like that? at least now we're seeing a glimmer of hope with the tariffs case maybe justice will prevail and trump's power grab will be reined in fingers crossed tho

Wow Roberts' record is super concerning, he's basically let partisan politics take over the Supreme Court ! The way he's gutted voting rights and campaign finance reform is just insane And his leadership on the court has become so clearly partisan it's like a joke How can you call yourself an institutionalist when you're prioritizing Trump's agenda over democracy? This erosion of democratic norms could be disastrous if left unchecked...

This guy John Roberts is like a dark horse - he's been hiding his true colors for years and now everyone's seeing him for who he really is . I mean, come on, 20+ years of serving on the SCOTUS and nobody noticed this? It's like he's been playing it safe all along while quietly dismantling democracy . Gerrymandering, Citizens United, Voting Rights Act... these decisions are not just partisan, they're downright devastating to our system .

And what really gets my goat is that people are saying it's not too late for him to change course . Change course? dude you've been playing the same game all along! But seriously, if this court starts making some real calls against Trump and his ilk, that could be a major wake-up call for us all .

I just wish more people were paying attention to what's really going on in our country . We need more than just finger-pointing at each other - we need bold action from leaders like Roberts (or lack thereof) . Fingers crossed that the recent tariffs case is a turning point and this court starts making some real moves