Donald Trump Cryptically Thanks Chief Justice John Roberts with Pat on the Shoulder, Then Says He 'Won't Forget'

Mar. 15, 2025

President Donald Trump greets Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts at his congressional address on March 4, 2025.Photo:SAUL LOEB/AFP via Getty

SAUL LOEB/AFP via Getty

“Thank you again. Thank you again. Won’t forget,” Trump told Roberts in a viral moment caught on camera, as he shook the chief justice’s hand and patted him on the shoulder.

Though Trump didn’t specify what he was thanking Roberts for, it comes on the heels of a series of Supreme Court decisions that paved a path for Trump to seek another term in office with unchecked immunity.

President Donald Trump greets Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts after his congressional address on March 4, 2025.JIM WATSON/AFP via Getty

JIM WATSON/AFP via Getty

Exactly one year prior to Trump’s cryptic exchange with Roberts, the Supreme Court unanimously rejected the idea that Trump’s role inthe Capitol riot on Jan. 6, 2021,disqualified him from running for president in 2024.

Then, in July 2024, the Supreme Court ruled 6-3 in favor of increased presidential immunity in the caseTrump v. United States. In addition to suggesting that future U.S. presidents are allowed to break the law, the court effectively saved Trump from being prosecuted for his alleged role in 2020 election interference and the Jan. 6 riot.

President Donald Trump pictured in Manhattan criminal court on May 30, 2024.Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images/Bloomberg via Getty

Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images/Bloomberg via Getty

Despite Trump’s major Supreme Court wins in 2024, he learned of a setback to his White House agenda hours after thanking Roberts on Tuesday night.

On Wednesday, March 5, the court ruled 5-4 to deny Trump’s request to avoid paying nearly $2 billion in foreign aid for work that has already been completed. Roberts granted a temporary delay on the payments last month, but he was part of the majority ruling in this case.

“A federal court has many tools to address a party’s supposed nonfeasance," Alito wrote. “Self-aggrandizement of its jurisdiction is not one of them.”

source: people.com