The US Supreme Court has handed President Donald Trump and all future presidents the power to fire leaders of independent agencies or commissions, overturning 90 years of court precedent that had curbed executive power. The decision, issued Monday in the case Trump v Slaughter, was celebrated by Trump on Truth Social as a "big win," but drew sharp criticism from labor advocates, unions, and consumer advocacy groups who warned of long-term impacts on US democracy.
Background of the Case
The ruling stems from Trump's firing of Rebecca Slaughter, a Democratic commissioner of the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), in March 2025. Slaughter stated she was fired "because I have a voice. And he [Trump] is afraid of what I'll tell the American people." Trump also fired another Democratic FTC commissioner, Alvaro Bedoya. No specific cause was given for the firings, only that their "continued service on the FTC is inconsistent with the administration's priorities."
Trump has fired several other leaders of independent agencies during his second term, including National Labor Relations Board member Gwynne Wilcox, the first Black woman on that board; Susan Tsui Grundmann of the Federal Labor Relations Authority (FLRA); Bureau of Labor Statistics commissioner Erika McEntarfer; and National Mediation Board member Deirdre Hamilton.
Overturning Humphrey's Executor
The decision overturns Humphrey's Executor, a 1935 ruling that the US Constitution did not grant "illimitable power of removal" to the president and protected independent agency staff from political attacks. That case arose from Franklin Roosevelt's attempt to fire William Humphrey, a Republican FTC commissioner.
Gary DiBianco, co-founder of Lawyers for Good Government, stated: "As Justice Sotomayor recognized in dissent, today's decision abandons nearly a century of settled constitutional understanding and replaces it with a loyalty test."
Reactions and Warnings
Georgetown Law professor Stephen Vladeck wrote: "There's no sugar-coating Slaughter. It's an enormously important ruling... It's a huge win for Trump/the executive. And it's going to have massive ramifications for the functioning of the government long after Trump is gone."
Rachel Rossi, president of Alliance for Justice, said: "In short, our authoritarian president was just handed the keys to be even more authoritarian, and the long-term consequences will no doubt be disastrous." Michael Sozan of the Center for American Progress warned: "Under this ruling, the guardrails against corruption and unfair interference by President Trump are further eroded, putting millions of Americans at risk."
Jocelyn Frye of the National Partnership for Women & Families said the decision "prioritizes the political preferences of the president over ensuring that independent agencies can carry out their enforcement and regulatory functions consistent with the law."
Separate Ruling on Federal Reserve
In a separate ruling, the Supreme Court ruled against Trump's firing of Federal Reserve board member Lisa Cook, attempted in August 2025. However, the court made clear that the Fed will be treated differently from other government agencies.
Justice Sonia Sotomayor called the Slaughter decision "egregiously wrong," arguing that the majority had upended settled law in a ruling that "promises to unleash only chaos." She wrote: "Today, the court discards that democratic regime in favor of one that distorts the structure of government to fit the majority's theory of unitary, total executive control."
