By Chris Sommerfeldt

New York Daily News

Chief Justice John Roberts assailed President Donald Trump on Wednesday for denigrating a federal judge who ruled against his administration’s proposed asylum ban, marking the first time the Supreme Court leader has publicly criticized the president.

In a rare statement issued by the high court, Roberts laid into Trump over his recent reference to U.S. District Court Judge Jon Tigar as an “Obama judge,” painting the remark as an affront to the independence of the federal judiciary.

“We do not have Obama judges or Trump judges, Bush judges or Clinton judges,” Roberts said. “What we have is an extraordinary group of dedicated judges doing their level best to do equal right to those appearing before them.”

In an apparent reference to the upcoming Thanksgiving weekend, Roberts added, “That independent judiciary is something we should all be thankful for.”

White House spokespeople did not immediately return a request for comment.