Supreme Court Rules on Trump’s Firing of FTC Commissioner

In a landmark decision, the Supreme Court ruled on Monday that President Trump acted within his rights when he dismissed former Federal Trade Commissioner Rebecca Slaughter without cause last year. The court determined that protections against such firings are unconstitutional.

Chief Justice John Roberts delivered a 6-3 opinion, overturning earlier precedents that restricted the president’s authority to remove officials from their positions.

In March, President Trump sought to fire Slaughter, who had previously served as an aide to Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.), alongside fellow Democratic committee member Alvaro Bedoya. The White House argued that keeping them in their roles could pose a “contrary to national security” risk, emphasizing the administration’s priorities.

Slaughter responded by filing a lawsuit, claiming the administration disregarded Federal Trade Commission regulations, which stipulate that presidents can dismiss commissioners only for reasons like “inefficiency, dereliction of duty, or misconduct.”

A panel of federal judges, along with an appellate court in Washington D.C., had initially ruled that her termination was unjust. However, the Supreme Court placed that ruling on hold until September 2025.

During oral arguments, the court referenced the precedent established in the 1935 Humphrey’s Executor v. United States case, where the justices unanimously concluded that Congress could limit the president’s power to fire government officials, regardless of their positions.

This decision faced criticism from conservative legal analysts, who believed it encroached on the president’s Article II powers and contributed to an unaccountable administrative state.

Chief Justice Roberts also brought up a more practical concern during the oral arguments, suggesting that Humphrey’s situation involved an agency with “little, if any, enforcement authority,” contrasting it with the current scenario.

Throughout Trump’s second term, the Supreme Court has granted him several preliminary victories regarding his attempts to terminate government officials. These temporary rulings are generally issued without detailed explanations.