Chief Justice John Roberts: From key swing vote to potential bystander?

The Supreme Court has long declined to take on such cases, often falling back on the precedent set by previous decisions. Under Roberts, even with a 5-4 conservative majority after Trump’s first two nominees, Neil M. Gorsuch and Brett M. Kavanaugh, were confirmed, the court seemed reluctant to take on big, landmark cases — and certainly to challenge precedent on politically sensitive issues. It has been suggested that Roberts aimed to make the court appear less political by avoiding those sensitive issues. Some conservatives have even said he lacks the will to address issues such as abortion at all. But such things could increasingly be out of his hands.