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Watch John Roberts Face When Donald Trump Says Something to Him Just Prior to SOTU

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Chief Justice John Roberts attended Donald Trump’s State of the Union address on Tuesday as his role in Trump’s impeachment trial comes to a close.

Roberts, who is constitutionally obligated to preside over the Senate impeachment trial of a president, has played a mostly ceremonial role since his Jan. 16 swearing-in as the trial’s presiding officer.

In addition to Roberts, Justices Elena Kagan, Neil Gorsuch and Brett Kavanaugh were in attendance for Trump’s speech, a court spokeswoman said.

Justice Stephen Breyer will miss the event due to “flu-like symptoms,” but otherwise would be there, the spokeswoman added.

Court watchers say Roberts assumed his role as presiding officer with reluctance, and is likely relieved to have carried out his duty with little fanfare.

Roberts’ decision to attend, along with three other members of the Supreme Court, is at odds with Chief Justice William Rehnquist’s absence from the State of the Union address by President Bill Clinton in 1999. Rehnquist was presiding over Clinton’s impeachment trial at the time.

Roberts has been present at every State of the Union address since he became chief justice in fall 2005. That, too, is a departure from the practice of Rehnquist, who did not always attend.

Something else odd happened.

When Trump entered the room, he briefly spoke with Roberts and although we couldn’t hear what was said, Roberts face said it all.

Maybe people wondered what was said:

WATCH:

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