The U.S. Supreme Court has temporarily upheld President Trump’s removal of Rebecca Slaughter, a Democrat-appointed member of the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), allowing her dismissal to stand while a case over her termination progresses.
This decision overrides a lower court’s ruling that had ordered her reinstatement, and moves the case toward a full hearing in December. The matter centers on whether the president may fire FTC members without cause, in potential conflict with the 1935 precedent known as Humphrey’s Executor, which limits executive removal power for certain independent agency officials.
Chief Justice John Roberts and the court’s conservative majority supported the stay on reinstatement. Three liberal justices dissented, arguing the decision undermines statutory and constitutional protections for independent regulators.
The outcome of the upcoming arguments could fundamentally change how much control the president has over independent federal agencies going forward.