Donald J.Trump hails Supreme Court ruling that strips independent agencies of firing protections
The court overturned a 90-year-old precedent, giving presidents power to fire leaders of the FTC and other independent agencies at will.
WHITE HOUSE — Donald J.Trump celebrated a Supreme Court decision that removed restrictions on presidential firing power, calling it a win for Republicans and the First Amendment, on a Truth Social post on June 30, 2026 at 9:56 AM EST.
Here is the full post (see truthsocial): “The Supreme Court just took restrictions off political spending! A BIG WIN FOR REPUBLICANS and, more importantly, The First Amendment! Donald J.Trump”
The Supreme Court ruled 6-3 in Trump v. Slaughter that removal protections for members of the Federal Trade Commission are unconstitutional, overturning the 1935 Humphrey’s Executor v. United States decision that had allowed Congress to shield leaders of independent agencies from presidential firing at will (see cbsnews.com). Chief Justice John Roberts wrote for the majority that limits on the president’s ability to fire officials who wield executive power infringe on constitutional authority.
The ruling carries broad implications for the federal regulatory structure. Congress has created more than two dozen multi-member agencies led by officials who could previously be removed only for cause, including the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, the Nuclear Regulatory Commission and the National Labor Relations Board (see cbsnews.com). All of those agencies now face the prospect of leadership changes at the president’s discretion.
Justice Sonia Sotomayor read a summary of her dissent from the bench, a rare step that signals strong disagreement. “Put simply, today the majority reshapes our Government. Dozens of independent commissions are now likely to become purely executive agencies, shifting tremendous power over broad swaths of American life into the President’s hands,” Sotomayor said, joined by Justices Elena Kagan and Ketanji Brown Jackson (see cbsnews.com).
The court drew a sharp line at the Federal Reserve. In a companion case, Trump v. Cook, the justices ruled 5-4 that Trump could not fire Lisa Cook, a member of the Federal Reserve’s Board of Governors (see thenation.com). Roberts wrote that the decision on the FTC does not implicate the constitutionality of the Fed’s removal restrictions, preserving the central bank’s independence from direct presidential control.
The case originated when Trump fired FTC Commissioner Rebecca Slaughter in March 2025 without cause, telling her that her service was “inconsistent” with administration priorities (see cbsnews.com). Slaughter, whom Trump first appointed during his initial term and Biden later reappointed, challenged her removal in court. A federal district court ordered her reinstated, but the Supreme Court allowed Trump to proceed with her firing while it considered the case.
Critics argue the ruling dismantles a regulatory framework designed to insulate expert decision-making from political pressure. Roberts overruled Humphrey’s Executor by turning to Reconstruction-era arguments about presidential removal authority, a move the liberal justices said ignored both history and congressional intent (see thenation.com).
In the last 30 days, 24 of 554 Trump posts on Truth Social addressed the topic of legal matters.
Source: Zenger real-time database of all Truth Social posts.
Note: Chart generated on June 30, 2026 at 10:01 AM EST
Source: Zenger analysis
Note: Table generated by NewsFindr on June 30, 2026 at 10:01 AM EST