Chief Justice John Roberts rebukes Trump for criticizing a federal judge

President Trump's recent criticism of a federal judge has earned a rare response from Chief Justice John Roberts.

A judge from the Northern District of California on Tuesday blocked Trump's attempt to ban those who enter the country illegally from seeking asylum, leading the president to dismiss him as an "Obama judge." He also criticized the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals more generally for frequently ruling against him. Roberts chided Trump for the comment, saying in a statement that there are no "Obama judges," nor are there "Trump judges, Bush judges, or Clinton judges," reports The Associated Press.

"What we have is an extraordinary group of dedicated judges doing their level best to do equal right to those appearing before them," Roberts said, per CNN. He added that this "independent judiciary is something we should all be thankful for."

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This is the first time Roberts, who was nominated to the court by former President George W. Bush, has ever offered any sort of public criticism of Trump, AP reports. Trump has not yet responded to this criticism from Roberts, who he has previously called an "absolute disaster."