Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts is a point of contention between GOP candidates. | AP Photo GOP candidates spar over Chief Justice Roberts

Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts on Sunday found himself in the center of a debate among Republican White House hopefuls who warned about future picks for the high court drifting to the left.

Roberts, who was nominated by former President George W. Bush in 2005 and confirmed by a Republican-led Senate, has been criticized by conservatives for his rulings in favor of key parts of Obamacare. With Republicans seemingly set to hold up President Barack Obama’s nomination to replace Justice Antonin Scalia, the party’s candidates are sparring over ties to the chief justice.


Front-runner Donald Trump criticized Jeb Bush and Sen. Ted Cruz, who was Texas' solicitor general at the time, for pushing Roberts' nomination. Trump also lashed out at Jeb Bush for supporting the nomination at the time.

Roberts “could’ve — he could’ve foiled, he could’ve ended Obamacare twice,” Trump said on ABC’s “This Week.” “He had two votes, he went up shockingly, he voted in favor of Obamacare. He got there because Ted Cruz pushed him like wild. And by the way, Jeb Bush pushed him through the brother.”

“We have Obamacare because of Ted Cruz, Jeb Bush and George Bush,” Trump said.

Cruz backed away from his support of Roberts on the same program.

“Listen, No. 1, I did not appoint John Roberts. George W. Bush did,” Cruz said. “Now, once the president made the appointment, I supported that nomination. That was a mistake.”

But Jeb Bush stuck with the high court’s top judge despite the rulings on the health care law.

“John Roberts, I think, can be a defended choice for sure,” Bush said on CNN’s “State of the Union.” “The Obamacare decision I was disappointed in, but he’s made some really good rulings beyond that.”