Supreme Court Sides With Trump On Firing
Supreme Court Backs Trump’s Power to Remove Agency Officials — For Now
The U.S. Supreme Court ruled that former President Trump may temporarily remove President Biden’s three appointees to the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) without cause. This challenges a long-standing precedent protecting independent regulatory agencies from presidential overreach.
“The Consumer Product Safety Commission exercises executive power in a similar manner as the National Labor Relations Board,” the Court said. The decision undermines the 1935 Humphrey’s Executor ruling, which limited presidential power to fire independent agency heads without cause.
All three liberal justices dissented. Justice Elena Kagan wrote, “The majority has acted on the emergency docket—with ‘little time, scant briefing, and no argument.’” She warned the ruling shifts power from Congress to the president.
The case stems from Trump’s early dismissal of Biden-appointed commissioners, which they contested in court. Though the Court sided with Trump, it declined to fast-track a full review, leaving the issue unresolved for now.
