Supreme Court cements Trump's power over agencies long considered independent

The U.S. Supreme Court is seen on March 4, 2026 in Washington, D.C. Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images North America hide caption toggle caption Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images North America Stay up to date with our Politics newsletter, sent weekly . The U.S. Supreme Court on Thursday further overturned a 91-year-old precedent that has prevented presidents from removing members of independent agencies at will. The decision represents a significant win for the Trump administration and a major expansion of the president's control over parts of the government once seen as a check on his powers. In a 6-3 ruling, the court found that President Trump's March 2025 firing of Federal Trade Commissioner Rebecca Kelly Slaughter without cause was lawful. Since its creation of the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) in 1914, Congress has held that commissioners can only be fired for "inefficiency, neglect of duty or malfeasance in office." Slaughter was presented with no such reason for her removal, only told her "continued service on the FTC is inconsistent with [the Trump] Administration's priorities." Last summer, a lower court found her firing was unlawful, citing a 1935 landmark decision known as Humphrey's Executor , a case prompted by President Franklin D. Roosevelt's attempted firing of an FTC commissioner over ideological disagreements. …