Those who know and like John Roberts say he’s an “institutionalist” committed to protecting the US Supreme Court. The chief justice’s detractors, on the other hand, describe him as “chiefy” — aloof, and believing that he alone can steer the court through tempestuous political waters.
Either way, the 71-year-old has a job that at times seems almost impossible. “He’s got critics on both sides,” a former Roberts clerk tells the FT. “And I think in some ways, it’s a little bit of a lonelier place to be.”
In the Supreme Court term that ended this week, Roberts took centre stage, writing the opinions in which the court defied President Donald Trump on tariffs, birthright citizenship and his attempt to fire Federal Reserve governor Lisa Cook, as well as a landmark ruling that expanded the scope of presidential power.