Supreme Court's top judge John Roberts issues warning after Trump attacks his own appointees

John Roberts, the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court, issued a cautionary statement following President Donald Trump’s social media critiques of the Court and other judges.

While Roberts did not directly reference Trump’s remarks, his comments came in the wake of them. He emphasized that while judicial criticism can be constructive, it should focus on the Court’s decisions rather than the individuals who issue them.

The US Supreme Court Chief Justice shared the comments during a public gathering at Rice University’s Baker Institute for Public Policy on March 17, 2026, where he warned against personally hostile attacks on judges and stressed the difference between legitimate legal criticism and personal hostility toward the judiciary.

US President Donald Trump shakes hands with Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts (ANDREW CABALLERO-REYNOLDS / AFP via Getty Images)

"We don't believe that we're flawless, in any way, and it's important that our decisions are subjected to scrutiny and they are," he explained. "The problem, sometimes, is that the criticism can move from a focus on legal analysis to personalities and you see, from all over, not just any one political perspective on it, that it's more directed in a personal way and that, quite frankly, can be quite dangerous."

On Sunday, Trump shared a lengthy post on his Truth Social platform, thanking the three Supreme Court justices who sided with him in the recent emergency global tariffs case while criticizing the others for what he called “openly disrespect[ing] the Presidents who nominate them to the highest position in the Land.”

President Donald Trump greeting Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts last month (Win McNamee/Getty Images)

The post followed the Court’s 6–3 decision striking down most of his tariff plan, a ruling Trump framed as a betrayal by justices he argued should honor the presidents who appointed them.

He went on: "This completely inept and embarrassing Court was not what the Supreme Court of the United States was set up by our wonderful Founders to be. They are hurting our Country, and will continue to do so."

Trump accused the courts of being ‘highly politicized', in his post, stating that it treated 'Republicans, and me, so unfairly, always seeming to protect those who should not be protected.'

The president described the ruling in the tariffs case as the one that ‘mattered most’ to him, adding, "The Court knew where I stood, how badly I wanted this Victory for our Country, and instead decided to, potentially, give away Trillions of Dollars to Countries and Companies who have been taking advantage of the United States for decades.

"Our Supreme Court has made these Countries very happy but, as the Court pointed out, I have the absolute right to charge TARIFFS in another form, and have already started to do so."