Chief Justice John Roberts delivered a procedural win to President Trump on Monday, allowing him — for now — to remove a Democratic-aligned commissioner from the Federal Trade Commission.
Roberts granted interim relief while the Supreme Court considers the administration’s broader appeal to overturn a lower court ruling that had reinstated Rebecca Kelly Slaughter.
Slaughter, a veteran Democratic appointee, filed suit in March after receiving an email from the White House Office of Presidential Personnel informing her she had been removed. The notice included a personal note from Trump stating she was out.
Originally appointed to the FTC by Trump in 2018, Slaughter was later reappointed by President Joe Biden to a term set to run through 2029. She contends her removal violates the Federal Trade Commission Act, which restricts presidents from dismissing commissioners except for inefficiency, neglect of duty, or malfeasance.
In July, a federal district court in Washington ruled in her favor, declaring Trump’s action “unlawful” and “without legal effect.” The decision reinstated her to her seat on the commission.
The administration promptly appealed, but the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals last week refused to pause the lower court’s ruling while the case proceeds.
Trump’s legal team then turned to the Supreme Court for emergency relief. Roberts’ order grants them temporary breathing room, sidelining Slaughter while the justices weigh the case, according to CBS.
The dispute is part of a larger battle over whether presidents have the authority to remove officials at independent regulatory agencies — institutions traditionally insulated from direct political influence.
The Supreme Court has previously permitted Trump to oust members of the National Labor Relations Board, the Merit Systems Protection Board, and the Consumer Product Safety Commission while litigation plays out.
For Trump, these moves reflect an effort to reassert presidential control over a federal bureaucracy he has frequently condemned as unaccountable.
Slaughter stands out as one of the most prominent officials caught in the dispute, and the Court’s ultimate ruling could redefine the balance of power between the presidency and independent agencies for years to come.
