Jamie Raskin Just Told John Roberts: “The Emperor Has No Clothes”
Equal justice apparently isn't equal anymore.
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Jamie Raskin Just Told John Roberts: “The Emperor Has No Clothes”
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/ March 13, 2026
Jamie Raskin Just Told John Roberts: “The Emperor Has No Clothes”
In this week’s Elie v. US, The Nation’s justice correspondent hails Raskin’s bold call-out. Plus, a counterintuitive take on the SAVE Act and a controversial video-game lawsuit.
Elie Mystal
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This is a preview of Nation Justice Correspondent Elie Mystal’s new weekly newsletter. Click here to receive this newsletter in your inbox each Friday.
Representative Jamie Raskin (D-MD)
(Heather Diehl / Getty Images)
The Judicial Conference of the United States held one of its semiannual meetings this week. The conference, which is overseen by Chief Justice John Roberts, consists of a 26-member panel of judges who make suggestions on judicial policy. Often, lawmakers and experts are invited to speak to the judges about the pressing issues of the day. Most of the time, the gathering is entirely pointless: It’s a closed door meeting that isn’t even newsworthy enough for reporters to try to get a scoop on what was said inside.
This week’s meeting was a bit different. Representative Jamie Raskin, ranking member of the House Judiciary Committee, lit into the justices, specifically Roberts. And we know this because Raskin made his remarks public. The meeting was focused on the increased threats to the safety of judges, something that, not surprisingly, judges always want to talk about. Raskin acknowledged the threats, and pledged to do everything he could to ensure the safety of the judiciary. But then he broadened his focus to address why judges are seeing more threats of violence. He said:
Those threatening judges, with menacing voicemails, physical violence, doxxing, or by calling for them to be impeached for ruling a particular way, all share an illegitimate ambition: they seek to change the outcome of cases through fear and coercion.
But the rising tide of threats against federal judges reflects a basic and spreading misunderstanding of what judges and Justices do. You are not legislators who are expressing your policy preferences or the policy preferences of your constituents. Nor are you Executive branch officials who are implementing a public policy decision.… We must combat the misconception that judges are political actors as opposed to elucidators of the meaning of the law. This means the Judiciary itself must make sure that the rule of law operates in a way which makes it clear to everyone what law is.
That is a very nice and respectable way of saying that the Supreme Court has gotten out of its lane. Raskin was calling out the justices for acting like legislators or executives and …
Equal justice apparently isn't equal anymore.
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Jamie Raskin Just Told John Roberts: “The Emperor Has No Clothes”
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Current Issue
Politics
/ March 13, 2026
Jamie Raskin Just Told John Roberts: “The Emperor Has No Clothes”
In this week’s Elie v. US, The Nation’s justice correspondent hails Raskin’s bold call-out. Plus, a counterintuitive take on the SAVE Act and a controversial video-game lawsuit.
Elie Mystal
Share
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X (Twitter)
Bluesky Pocket
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Ad Policy
This is a preview of Nation Justice Correspondent Elie Mystal’s new weekly newsletter. Click here to receive this newsletter in your inbox each Friday.
Representative Jamie Raskin (D-MD)
(Heather Diehl / Getty Images)
The Judicial Conference of the United States held one of its semiannual meetings this week. The conference, which is overseen by Chief Justice John Roberts, consists of a 26-member panel of judges who make suggestions on judicial policy. Often, lawmakers and experts are invited to speak to the judges about the pressing issues of the day. Most of the time, the gathering is entirely pointless: It’s a closed door meeting that isn’t even newsworthy enough for reporters to try to get a scoop on what was said inside.
This week’s meeting was a bit different. Representative Jamie Raskin, ranking member of the House Judiciary Committee, lit into the justices, specifically Roberts. And we know this because Raskin made his remarks public. The meeting was focused on the increased threats to the safety of judges, something that, not surprisingly, judges always want to talk about. Raskin acknowledged the threats, and pledged to do everything he could to ensure the safety of the judiciary. But then he broadened his focus to address why judges are seeing more threats of violence. He said:
Those threatening judges, with menacing voicemails, physical violence, doxxing, or by calling for them to be impeached for ruling a particular way, all share an illegitimate ambition: they seek to change the outcome of cases through fear and coercion.
But the rising tide of threats against federal judges reflects a basic and spreading misunderstanding of what judges and Justices do. You are not legislators who are expressing your policy preferences or the policy preferences of your constituents. Nor are you Executive branch officials who are implementing a public policy decision.… We must combat the misconception that judges are political actors as opposed to elucidators of the meaning of the law. This means the Judiciary itself must make sure that the rule of law operates in a way which makes it clear to everyone what law is.
That is a very nice and respectable way of saying that the Supreme Court has gotten out of its lane. Raskin was calling out the justices for acting like legislators or executives and …
Jamie Raskin Just Told John Roberts: “The Emperor Has No Clothes”
Equal justice apparently isn't equal anymore.
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Jamie Raskin Just Told John Roberts: “The Emperor Has No Clothes”
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Current Issue
Politics
/ March 13, 2026
Jamie Raskin Just Told John Roberts: “The Emperor Has No Clothes”
In this week’s Elie v. US, The Nation’s justice correspondent hails Raskin’s bold call-out. Plus, a counterintuitive take on the SAVE Act and a controversial video-game lawsuit.
Elie Mystal
Share
Copy Link
Facebook
X (Twitter)
Bluesky Pocket
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Edit
Ad Policy
This is a preview of Nation Justice Correspondent Elie Mystal’s new weekly newsletter. Click here to receive this newsletter in your inbox each Friday.
Representative Jamie Raskin (D-MD)
(Heather Diehl / Getty Images)
The Judicial Conference of the United States held one of its semiannual meetings this week. The conference, which is overseen by Chief Justice John Roberts, consists of a 26-member panel of judges who make suggestions on judicial policy. Often, lawmakers and experts are invited to speak to the judges about the pressing issues of the day. Most of the time, the gathering is entirely pointless: It’s a closed door meeting that isn’t even newsworthy enough for reporters to try to get a scoop on what was said inside.
This week’s meeting was a bit different. Representative Jamie Raskin, ranking member of the House Judiciary Committee, lit into the justices, specifically Roberts. And we know this because Raskin made his remarks public. The meeting was focused on the increased threats to the safety of judges, something that, not surprisingly, judges always want to talk about. Raskin acknowledged the threats, and pledged to do everything he could to ensure the safety of the judiciary. But then he broadened his focus to address why judges are seeing more threats of violence. He said:
Those threatening judges, with menacing voicemails, physical violence, doxxing, or by calling for them to be impeached for ruling a particular way, all share an illegitimate ambition: they seek to change the outcome of cases through fear and coercion.
But the rising tide of threats against federal judges reflects a basic and spreading misunderstanding of what judges and Justices do. You are not legislators who are expressing your policy preferences or the policy preferences of your constituents. Nor are you Executive branch officials who are implementing a public policy decision.… We must combat the misconception that judges are political actors as opposed to elucidators of the meaning of the law. This means the Judiciary itself must make sure that the rule of law operates in a way which makes it clear to everyone what law is.
That is a very nice and respectable way of saying that the Supreme Court has gotten out of its lane. Raskin was calling out the justices for acting like legislators or executives and …
