Supreme Court Allows Trump Temporary FTC Commissioner Removal

The U.S. Supreme Court, through an administrative stay ordered by Chief Justice John Roberts, has temporarily allowed President Donald Trump to remove Rebecca Kelly Slaughter, a Democratic member of the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), despite existing legal protections limiting such firings. This pause halts a previous court ruling that had reinstated Slaughter and grants the Supreme Court additional time to consider the broader constitutional question of presidential authority over independent agencies. Trump's move challenges a 1935 precedent that restricts the president's ability to fire FTC commissioners without cause, a safeguard designed to protect the agency from political influence. The Trump administration argues that these removal restrictions infringe upon the president's executive powers as outlined in Article 2 of the Constitution. This case reflects the Supreme Court's recent trend of limiting the independence of federal agencies by granting presidents greater control. The legal battle remains ongoing as the court deliberates whether to uphold or overturn these longstanding protections for independent commissioners.