Pence: John Roberts 'a disappointment'

Vice President Mike Pence said in an interview Thursday that Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts has been "a disappointment to conservatives," as he sought to elevate the importance of the high court in the coming presidential election.

Pence issued his opinion in an interview with the Christian Broadcasting Network, pointing to recent decisions in which Roberts, who was appointed by President George W. Bush in 2005, has sided with the court's more liberal justices.

"Look, we have great respect for the institution of the Supreme Court of the United States, but Chief Justice John Roberts has been a disappointment to conservatives," Pence said. He cited Roberts' role in upholding the Affordable Care Act and "a spate" of more recent decisions, including one last month in which the court rejected a Nevada church's request to block the state's cap on attendees for religious services but not for casinos amid the coronavirus pandemic.

"I think several cases out of the Supreme Court are a reminder of just how important this election is for the future of the Supreme Court," Pence said. "We remember the issue back in 2016, which I believe loomed large in voters' decisions between Hillary Clinton and the man who became president of the United States."

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Pence also called the recent court ruling that struck down a Louisiana abortion law "a wake-up call for pro-life voters around the country who understand in a very real sense that the destiny of the Supreme Court is on the ballot in 2020."

He reminded viewers that Trump has pledged to release an updated list of conservatives whom he would consider for court openings.

Trump frequently touts his appointments of federal judges -- including Supreme Court Justices Neil Gorsuch and Brett Kavanaugh -- as among his first-term accomplishments. Last month, the Senate confirmed Trump's 200th federal judicial nominee, a milestone that reflects the pace at which he and fellow Republicans have moved to create a legacy that will endure regardless of the outcome of this year's elections.

In a 2018 rejoinder to Trump, Roberts notably said that "we do not have Obama judges or Trump judges, Bush judges or Clinton judges."

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