Key facts
- Chief Justice John Roberts and President Donald Trump experienced aligned successes during the Supreme Court's recent term.
- Roberts authored a ruling expanding presidential power to remove heads of independent regulatory agencies.
- The court struck down Trump's global tariffs and rejected his attempt to remove a Federal Reserve governor.
- A ruling found Trump's executive order on birthright citizenship unconstitutional.
- The court also ruled against Trump on campaign finance restrictions.
U.S. Chief Justice John Roberts and President Donald Trump found common ground during the Supreme Court's most recent term, with both achieving victories when their interests aligned. However, the court also delivered significant defeats to Trump in cases where his agenda diverged from Roberts' judicial approach.
Roberts authored several key rulings that favored Trump, including a decision that granted the president broad authority to remove heads of independent regulatory agencies. This ruling, Trump v. Slaughter, overturned a 1935 precedent and was seen by some analysts as significantly boosting presidential power under the U.S. Constitution, aligning with the 'unitary executive' theory.
Despite the court's overall conservative leanings, amplified by three justices appointed by Trump, the term also highlighted differences between Roberts and Trump. Roberts penned three rulings that were major setbacks for the president, concerning tariffs, birthright citizenship, and an attempt to remove a Federal Reserve Board of Governors member. These decisions, supported by the court's three liberal justices, demonstrated that the court is not solely an 'arm of the Trump agenda,' according to UC Berkeley law professor John Yoo.
The court's term also saw rulings that advanced long-held aims of the Roberts Court, such as gutting a key provision of the Voting Rights Act, making it harder for minorities to challenge electoral maps. Additionally, the court struck down a campaign funding restriction, citing free speech grounds, which could benefit Republican committees in upcoming elections.
In economic matters, the court struck down Trump's global tariffs and upheld the independence of the Federal Reserve. The ruling on birthright citizenship found Trump's executive order to be in violation of the 14th Amendment.