Chief Justice planned to support Trump census citizenship question before changing his mind

Published September 12, 2019 8:19pm ET



Chief Justice John Roberts was planning to vote in favor of President Trump’s citizenship question on the 2020 census before reversing course and striking it down.

Sources familiar with Supreme Court deliberations told CNN on Thursday that Roberts, 64, had initially planned on supporting the census question after hearing oral arguments in April. Roberts changed his mind after believing the reason for the question was invented rather than necessary.

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