Washington (CNN) Almost exactly a year ago, on the eve of Thanksgiving, Chief Justice John Roberts issued a stunning rebuke to President Donald Trump. As many people were heading out of town for the holiday, Roberts called out the President.

"We do not have Obama judges or Trump judges, Bush judges or Clinton judges," Roberts said in a statement responding to comments Trump had made criticizing an appellate court. "What we have is an extraordinary group of dedicated judges doing their level best to do equal right to those appearing before them. That independent judiciary is something we should all be thankful for."

Criticism, with much stronger rhetoric, often ricochets between the political branches, but a statement such as that from a chief justice directed at the President was rare.

In the end, it made little difference, as the President took to Twitter to criticize the Chief, and Roberts thereafter kept his fire dry.

But a year later, as the country prepares again to celebrate Thanksgiving, the relationship between the two men is once again center stage, and this time the President could use Roberts's vote. The two men, both heads of their respective branches, could once again be poised to clash and the result could have lasting impact on the relationship between the branches of government.

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