Trump scolds ‘sleazebag' pundits for speculating why he thanked Justice Roberts following address to Congress
President Donald Trump scolded MSNBC and CNN on Thursday for speculating why he thanked Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts after his joint address to Congress without bothering to pick up the phone and ask.
"Thank you again, I won't forget," Trump told Justice Roberts in a moment that was captured by television cameras following his address.
The Supreme Court ruled in July 2024 that former presidents have substantial protection from prosecution after Trump moved to dismiss his indictment in a 2020 election interference case based on presidential immunity, and many liberal pundits insisted the president was thanking Justice Roberts more than seven months later. But it wasn't the first time Trump and Roberts have seen each other in person, as the Chief Justice administrated the presidential oath of office on Inauguration Day. Many liberal pundits assumed Trump was thanking Justice Roberts for the former.
MSNBC's Chris Hayes suggested that Trump was thanking Roberts for "paving the way" for him to return to the White House.
"Donald Trump understands that John Roberts is his guy who sprang him and saved him from prosecution with his ruling on presidential immunity, which ultimately paved the way for Trump to be elected president again," Hayes told MSNBC viewers.
MSNBC host Symone Sanders asked New York University law professor Melissa Murray if it was a "preemptive thank you for something that's about to happen."
"There is a lot Donald Trump could have thanked his court for, namely the immunity ruling… big get out of jail free card," Murray responded.
Over on CNN, political director David Chalian said he would "love to know" what Trump was thanking Roberts. He suggested it could have been for the "inauguration," but another panelist quickly chimed in, claiming it was "obviously immunity."
Trump took to social media on Thursday morning to set the record straight.
The Fake 'Play the Ref' News, in order to create a divide between me and our great U.S. Supreme Court, heard me say last night, loudly and openly as I was walking past the Justices on the way to the podium, 'thank you,' to Chief Justice John Roberts. 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? 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," Trump posted on Truth Social.
CNN and MSNBC did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
While Trump didn't scold "The View" co-host Joy Behar, she also speculated on Trump's remarks to Roberts.
"There was a moment there that really stopped my heart, and that was when Trump shook hands with the members of the Supreme Court," Behar said.
He said to Justice Roberts, 'Thank you again, thank you again, won't forget it,'" she continued. "Now, what do you think he was referring to?"
Behar then suggested Trump was thanking Justice Roberts for the immunity.
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