Chief justice warns against defying Supreme Court

Chief Justice John Roberts during Donald Trump impeachment trial — The warning may have been directed toward Vice President-elect J.D. Vance, who recently suggested that President-elect Donald Trump ignore federal court rulings

(Image credit: Drew Angerer / Getty Images)

What happened

Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts released his annual end-of-year report on the judiciary Tuesday, warning that judges are facing increasing threats of violence and intimidation as public officials threaten to ignore lawful court rulings.

Who said what

"Violence, intimidation and defiance directed at judges because of their work undermine our republic, and are wholly unacceptable," Roberts wrote. Officials "from across the political spectrum have raised the specter of open disregard for federal court rulings," and "these dangerous suggestions" must be "soundly rejected."

Roberts didn't name any officials, and some Democrats have "toyed publicly with declining to enforce court decisions," CNN said. But his report arrived weeks before the inauguration of Donald Trump, who has "repeatedly decried the federal judiciary as rigged." The warning was an "unmistakable — and well-deserved — swipe" at Vice President-elect J.D. Vance, a Yale Law graduate who has recently made several "reckless suggestions" about Trump ignoring federal court rulings, Ruth Marcus said at The Washington Post.

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What next?

After a series of polarizing rulings and ethics controversies, "public confidence in the judiciary as a whole has collapsed" and "approval of the Supreme Court remains mired near record lows," the Post said, citing recent Gallup polling.

Peter has worked as a news and culture writer and editor at The Week since the site's launch in 2008. He covers politics, world affairs, religion and cultural currents. His journalism career began as a copy editor at a financial newswire and has included editorial positions at The New York Times Magazine, Facts on File, and Oregon State University.