Donald Trump may have crossed a "redline" for Chief Justice John Roberts, an ex-prosecutor said.
Former federal prosecutor Joyce Vance recently weighed in on a statement Roberts made about those, including Trump himself, who have suggested that a judge who ruled against the White House should be impeached.
According to Vance, Roberts' statement that “impeachment is not an appropriate response to disagreement concerning a judicial decision” is "clearly directed" at Trump.
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Vance pointed to Trump's statement about the federal judge in question, in which Trump refers to the jurist as a "troublemaker" and an "agitator," and outlined the potential harmful outcomes.
"With that, the president of the United States places a bullseye on the back of yet another federal judge. This comes in the wake of a rise in threats against federal judges after Elon Musk criticized some judges’ rulings on Twitter. Back in December the chief justice criticized elected officials for trying to intimidate judges. He was concerned about impeachment threats then, as well," according to Vance. "That seems to be the redline for the chief justice, the threat of using impeachment in a way the Constitution does not intend."
Vance goes on to say that "it’s important that chief justice took this modest but unusual-for-the-court step today."
"Perhaps the chief justice will reflect on how frequently he has been called upon to do so during the Trump administration, something almost unheard of during other presidencies," she added. "Does it signal that the Court will protect the Constitution as cases begin to arrive there? It’s far too soon to say."
Vance noted that conservative anti-Trump lawyer George Conway told Roberts, "Welcome to the Resistance, Mr. Chief Justice.”
But Vance says, "Perhaps that’s a bit premature, or maybe he has finally realized the leopard wants to eat the judiciary's face."
"In reality, no one should expect or want the justices to take a side in a political fight—we’ve had enough of that with upside down flags and such already," she added. "What we are entitled to expect from the Court is an unflagging commitment to the Constitution, not to the president and it’s essential they do that if we are going to make it through this."
