President Donald Trump raged on Truth Social against “sleazebag journalists” for their portrayal of a moment with Chief Justice John Roberts. The situation was the result of a hot mic recording of Trump speaking to Roberts in the wake of Trump’s speech to Congress Tuesday night.
The moment, caught on tape, showed Trump shaking Roberts' hand and stating, “Thank you again. Thank you again. Won’t forget it,” while patting the Chief Justice on the arm.
Multiple media outlets reported on the interaction, leading to widespread speculation about its meaning. Many interpreted Trump’s words as an expression of gratitude for the Supreme Court’s conservative-majority ruling, which granted him broad immunity from most criminal charges, both past and future.
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Late Wednesday night, responding to the reports, Trump launched an attack on the media in a Truth Social post. “Like most people, I don’t watch Fake News CNN or MSDNC, but I understand they are going ‘crazy’ asking what is it that I was thanking Justice Roberts for?” Trump lambasted MSNBC.
“They never called my office to ask, of course, but if they had I would have told these sleazebag ‘journalists’ that I thanked him for SWEARING ME IN ON INAUGURATION DAY, AND DOING A REALLY GOOD JOB IN SO DOING! The Fake News never quits!”
Supreme Court’s role in shaping Trump’s legal standing
{{/usCountry}}“They never called my office to ask, of course, but if they had I would have told these sleazebag ‘journalists’ that I thanked him for SWEARING ME IN ON INAUGURATION DAY, AND DOING A REALLY GOOD JOB IN SO DOING! The Fake News never quits!”
Supreme Court’s role in shaping Trump’s legal standing
{{/usCountry}}Notably, Trump received a series of Supreme Court wins, including a March 2024 ruling that blocked Colorado from removing Trump from its presidential election ballot for his role on January 6 and a July decision that freed former presidents from criminal prosecution for official actions, ending a federal case against the Republican.
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Trump’s critics argue that the Court, under Roberts’ leadership, has repeatedly made decisions that have benefited him politically and legally.
Writing for The Atlantic, journalist Adam Serwer summarized the sentiment, stating, “We can’t know precisely what the president meant, but Trump does have a lot to thank Roberts for.”