Don’t Shoot the Referee: Why Chief Justice Roberts Is Right to Warn Against Attacks on Judges

In an age where politics feels more like a street fight than a civil debate, it’s easy to forget that the judiciary—the referees of our constitutional system—is supposed to be above the fray. But recent years have seen something deeply troubling: a growing wave of threats, intimidation, and political attacks on judges, both appointed and elected. Chief Justice John Roberts has had enough.

In a series of public speeches and judicial conferences across 2024 and 2025, Chief Justice Roberts has delivered stern, pointed warnings: undermining judicial independence through personal attacks or threats is dangerous, un-American, and, in some cases, illegal. He didn’t mince words—while he avoided calling out politicians by name, everyone listening knew who he was talking about.

This wasn’t just some abstract legal principle he was defending. It’s about real consequences. In 2020, a federal judge’s son was shot and killed at their family home in New Jersey. In 2022, a man was arrested outside Justice Brett Kavanaugh’s home with weapons, planning an assassination. In 2023 and 2024, judges faced escalating threats, doxxing, and harassment campaigns—all amplified by political rhetoric and social media rage mobs.

Roberts warned that when leaders from either party treat judges like political enemies or demand personal loyalty, it encourages people to act—sometimes violently. “This sort of rhetoric is dangerous,” Roberts said. “It’s not criticism—it’s a threat” (AP News). And he’s right. There’s a difference between disagreeing with a court’s ruling and threatening the judge who made it. One is democracy. The other is mob rule.

And yes, this isn’t just about Republicans or Democrats—it’s about both. From Donald Trump attacking judges who ruled against him, to Senator Chuck Schumer warning Justices Gorsuch and Kavanaugh they would “pay the price”, the message from Roberts is the same: stop turning judges into political punching bags.

The Chief Justice also reminded everyone that if Americans want to change laws, they should do it the right way—through legislation, not intimidation. Judges don’t create policy. They interpret the law. If we disagree with a ruling, we have courts of appeal. We have Congress. We even have the ability to amend the Constitution. But what we don’t have is the right to bully the judicial branch into submission.

The reality is, the rule of law only works if we all agree to play by the rules—even when the ruling goes against us. When we treat judges as enemies instead of referees, we undermine the very foundation of our democracy.

In a time when public trust is fragile and anger is easy, Chief Justice Roberts is reminding us that respect for the courts is not optional—it’s essential. If we lose that, we’re not just losing a political argument. We’re losing the system that holds us all together.


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Works Cited

Liptak, Adam. “Chief Justice Roberts Warns of Attacks on Judiciary.” The New York Times, 28 June 2025. www.nytimes.com/2025/06/28/us/chief-justice-roberts-speech.html. Accessed 8 July 2025.

Gerstein, Josh. “Roberts Sounds Alarm on Violence Against Judges.” Politico, 28 June 2025. www.politico.com/news/2025/06/28/chief-justice-roberts-speech-violence-00431332. Accessed 8 July 2025.

Sherman, Mark. “Chief Justice Roberts Warns Against Heated Political Words About Judges.” AP News, 26 June 2025. www.apnews.com/article/9310cc94bbb8017e274864ad3c31be23. Accessed 8 July 2025.

Biskupic, Joan. “John Roberts Defends Judiciary Amid Political Pressure.” CNN, 29 June 2025. www.cnn.com/2025/06/29/politics/john-roberts-judiciary-trump-speech. Accessed 8 July 2025.

Millhiser, Ian. “What John Roberts Just Said About Judicial Threats Should Scare Everyone.” Vox, 30 June 2025. www.vox.com/2025/06/30/john-roberts-judicial-independence. Accessed 8 July 2025.

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