US Supreme Court hears fight over Trump's power to fire federal agency official

BBC News - WorldCenterEN 2 min read 100% complete December 8, 2025 at 04:27 PM

AI Summary

medium article 2 min

The Supreme Court is hearing a case, Trump v Slaughter, concerning President Trump's authority to fire a Federal Trade Commission (FTC) member. Rebecca Kelly Slaughter, an FTC commissioner, sued Trump after being removed for disagreeing with the administration's priorities, despite the law stating commissioners can only be fired for specific causes. A lower court ruled the firing illegal, prompting Trump's appeal. The case questions the independence of federal agencies shielded from presidential control, like the FTC, which was established in 1914 to prevent unfair business practices. A 1935 Supreme Court ruling, Humphrey's Executor, affirmed that presidents cannot freely remove members of agencies with quasi-judicial and quasi-legislative functions. The Supreme Court will also consider Trump's power to remove a member of the Federal Reserve Board of Governors.

Key Entities & Roles

Key Player Opposition Context

United States Supreme Court ×250% Federal Trade Commission (FTC) ×460% Rebecca Kelly Slaughter ×370% Donald Trump ×680%

Keywords

supreme court 100% federal agencies 90% presidential power 80% firing 70% ftc 70% independence 60% trump v slaughter 60% for cause 50% separation of powers 40%