This article is from the source 'bbc' and was first published or seen on . It last changed over 40 days ago and won't be checked again for changes.
You can find the current article at its original source at https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-46294734
The article has changed 6 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.
Version 0 | Version 1 |
---|---|
Chief Justice Roberts rebukes Trump's 'Obama judge' gibe | Chief Justice Roberts rebukes Trump's 'Obama judge' gibe |
(35 minutes later) | |
US Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts has taken the extraordinary step of rebuking President Donald Trump's criticism of a federal judge. | US Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts has taken the extraordinary step of rebuking President Donald Trump's criticism of a federal judge. |
Mr Trump on Tuesday called a jurist who ruled against his asylum policy an "Obama judge". | Mr Trump on Tuesday called a jurist who ruled against his asylum policy an "Obama judge". |
The president's gibe has provoked a stern statement from the head of America's highest court. | The president's gibe has provoked a stern statement from the head of America's highest court. |
It is extremely rare for the judiciary, let alone its head, to clash with the executive branch of the US government. | It is extremely rare for the judiciary, let alone its head, to clash with the executive branch of the US government. |
"We do not have Obama judges or Trump judges, Bush judges or Clinton judges," the chief justice told the Associated Press. | "We do not have Obama judges or Trump judges, Bush judges or Clinton judges," the chief justice told 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." | "What we have is an extraordinary group of dedicated judges doing their level best to do equal right to those appearing before them." |
Speaking on the eve of America's Thanksgiving holiday, he said an "independent judiciary is something we should all be thankful for". | Speaking on the eve of America's Thanksgiving holiday, he said an "independent judiciary is something we should all be thankful for". |
Chief Justice Roberts - who was appointed to lead the court in 2005 by President George W Bush - was responding to the news agency's request for reaction to Mr Trump's remark a day earlier. | Chief Justice Roberts - who was appointed to lead the court in 2005 by President George W Bush - was responding to the news agency's request for reaction to Mr Trump's remark a day earlier. |
The Republican president had spoken out following US District Judge Jon Tigar's ruling against a presidential executive order denying illegal migrants the right to seek asylum. | The Republican president had spoken out following US District Judge Jon Tigar's ruling against a presidential executive order denying illegal migrants the right to seek asylum. |
Chief Justice Roberts' Supreme Court colleague Ruth Bader Ginsburg has been a far more outspoken critic of Mr Trump. | |
In 2016, the liberal judge apologised for calling Mr Trump a "faker" in an interview after coming under fire for commenting on a candidate as a jurist. | |
Mr Trump has previously lambasted federal judges for ruling against his policies. In 2017, he called a federal jurist who reversed his controversial travel ban a "so-called judge" with a "ridiculous" opinion. | |
Politicising an impartial judiciary | |
Analysis by Anthony Zurcher, BBC News | |
Members of the Supreme Court - in fact, the whole of the federal judiciary- like to think of themselves as above and apart from the tumult of American politics. | |
For some time, however, such an idea has been honoured more in the breach than the observance, with courts often becoming mired in fiercely partisan matters. | |
The politicisation of the judiciary is now reaching a crescendo, as Donald Trump repeatedly questions the impartiality and motives of judges. | |
The president is, with his comments, seemingly chipping away at the authority of a co-equal branch of government. | |
That may be why the president's latest fusillade against an "Obama judge" prompted a rare and direct rebuke from the head of the judiciary, John Roberts. | |
The pointed statement seems destined to set off another round of criticism directed at the chief justice, who - after his 2012 ruling upholding the constitutionality of Obamacare - many Trump supporters feel is insufficiently loyal to their cause. | |
It is probably only a matter of time before the president, in comments or via Twitter, returns fire. | |
That the normally cautious jurist felt compelled to speak out underscores just how fraught the current situation has become. | |
This most recent feud with the judiciary relates to the large group of Central American migrants making their way to the US-Mexico border. | |
Mr Trump had ramped up his rhetoric around the "caravan" of migrants during the mid-term election season, calling the group "an invasion". | |
He eventually deployed military troops to help secure the border. | |
On Tuesday, the Pentagon released a report to Congress saying this deployment of around 5,900 active-duty troops would cost about $72m (£56m), plus the $138m (£108m) already spent on 2,100 National Guard troops on border missions since April. | |
In addition, more than $80m (£62m) has been spent to process thousands of migrant children separated from parents under the Trump administration's "zero tolerance" crackdown earlier this year, report US media. | |
Mr Trump eventually backed down on the policy that saw over 2,000 migrant children taken away from adults at the US-Mexico border between May and June. | |
Around 140 children remain in government custody as of this week. |