Barrett and Roberts have signaled a willingness to act, at least at times, as a check on Trump's efforts to expand his power.

Donald Trump dismissed media speculation over his brief exchange with Chief Justice John Roberts during his Congress address, calling it "fake news." In a Truth Social post, he wrote, "Like most people,

President Donald Trump went on a tear on his Truth Social platform late Wednesday against what he called the “Fake ‘Play the Ref’ News” over its coverage of him thanking Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts following his speech to a joint session of Congress on Tuesday.