US Supreme Court Expands Trump’s Authority Over Federal Agencies
The United States Supreme Court has delivered a landmark ruling that significantly expands presidential authority, granting President Donald Trump broader power to remove leaders of federal regulatory agencies.
In a 6–3 decision delivered on Monday, the conservative majority held that presidents may dismiss agency officials who exercise executive authority, despite statutory protections previously designed to shield some positions from political influence.
The ruling upheld Trump’s dismissal of Democratic Federal Trade Commission (FTC) Commissioner Rebecca Slaughter, marking a major shift in the balance of power between the presidency and independent federal agencies.
However, the court signalled that the decision would not automatically extend to the US Federal Reserve, describing the central bank as operating under a distinct historical framework. In a separate ruling the same day, the justices declined to permit Trump to remove Federal Reserve Governor Lisa Cook.
Legal analysts described the decision as a turning point for what is often called the “administrative state” — the network of federal agencies responsible for regulating sectors including finance, labour, consumer protection and transportation.
The judgment is also being viewed as one of the strongest endorsements yet of the “unitary executive” theory, a conservative legal doctrine arguing that the president should maintain direct control over the executive branch, including the ability to appoint and remove agency leaders.
Michael Gerhardt, a professor at the University of North Carolina School of Law, described the ruling as one of the most consequential expansions of presidential authority in decades and a major victory for supporters of executive power.
John Yoo, a constitutional law professor at the University of California, Berkeley, said the decision strengthens presidential oversight of agencies that expanded significantly during previous Democratic administrations.
The case originated after Trump moved in March 2025 to remove Slaughter and another Democratic commissioner from the FTC. Slaughter challenged the decision, citing a 1914 law that allowed presidents to remove FTC commissioners only for specific reasons such as misconduct or neglect of duty.Lower courts
