Trump’s three appointees and Justices Thomas and Alito were the majority, and Chief Justice Roberts was in the minority. I saw it speculated earlier today that the Chief Justice on some questions now will have to get used to being in the minority, and he might for that reason retire even before Justice Breyer.
Question: Were they allowed to have the meetings while awaiting the ruling? If not the rats got what they wanted. Make us work for everything. 5-4 is a moral victory for the rats.
His real power though - as Chief Justice - is the ability to assign the person to write the opinion whenever he’s in the majority. So, he could assign himself to blunt what might be an enormous victory for conservatives by significantly watering it down.
He could be a real spoiler that way.