The U.S. Supreme Court has ruled in a 6-3 decision to support President Donald Trump’s dismissal of Rebecca Slaughter, a commissioner appointed by former President Joe Biden to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC). The court allowed Trump’s removal of Slaughter and another Democratic-appointed commissioner, Alvaro Bedoya, to stand, marking a significant shift in the balance of power between the executive branch and independent regulatory agencies.

The case centered on the FTC Act, which stipulates that commissioners can only be removed for cause, such as inefficiency or malfeasance. Slaughter challenged her termination, leading to multiple legal battles. A federal appeals court initially reinstated her, but the Supreme Court temporarily blocked this decision, permitting Trump’s action to proceed. The high court has agreed to hear arguments on whether the 90-year-old precedent Humphrey’s Executor v. United States (1935), which protects independent agency officials from arbitrary removal, is constitutional.

Liberal justices dissented, warning that the ruling could erode safeguards for agency independence. The decision signals a potential expansion of presidential authority to dismiss members of independent regulatory bodies without cause, raising concerns about centralized executive power. Slaughter’s case has seen repeated reinstatements and firings as it moved through the courts, with her current removal remaining in effect until the Supreme Court deliberates further.

The ruling underscores ongoing tensions over the scope of executive power and the role of independent agencies in U.S. governance.