Chief Justice John Roberts pushes for judicial independence in history-heavy report

Chief Justice John Roberts touted the independence of the federal judiciary as a “counter-majoritarian check” and urged Americans rattled by partisan politics to keep faith with the Constitution in an annual report Wednesday that steered clear of direct discussion of modern controversies.

Roberts’ history-heavy statement made no mention of Donald Trump, nor the intense conflict that has cropped up between federal courts and the White House since his second inauguration nearly a year ago.

Trump has questioned the legitimacy of courts that paused his policies and called for the impeachment of judges who ruled against him.