Trump asks Supreme Court to let him fire FTC commissioner

Trump asks Supreme Court to let him fire FTC commissioner

In a significant legal battle, former President Donald Trump has asked the Supreme Court to intervene in his attempt to fire Federal Trade Commission (FTC) Commissioner Rebecca Kelly Slaughter. The request comes after a series of rulings that have reinstated Slaughter and denied the Trump administration’s attempts to speed up the appeals process.

On Tuesday, the U.S. Court of Appeals for D.C. denied the Trump administration’s request to expedite the appeals process and upheld a lower-court order that Trump did not have the authority to fire Slaughter. The court cited a 1935 Supreme Court decision that protects FTC leaders from getting fired by the president "at will" [1].

Slaughter, who was fired in March, was temporarily reinstated by a district court on July 21 but was blocked by an emergency stay from the appeals court. The recent 2-1 decision by the appeals court to dissolve the stay and deny the Trump administration’s request to expedite the appeals process marks a setback for the former president’s efforts to weaken government watchdogs and regulators [2].

The White House has maintained that Trump acted legally when he removed Slaughter, citing two recent Supreme Court decisions that allowed him to remove the heads of agencies. However, the latest ruling suggests that the court is skeptical of Trump’s legal arguments, potentially setting a precedent for future cases involving the removal of regulatory officials [1].

The legal battle over Slaughter’s reinstatement is part of a broader pattern of judicial challenges to Trump’s policies. On Tuesday, judges ruled against Trump in three separate cases, including his deployment of federal troops to Los Angeles, his use of the Alien Enemies Act to deport members of the Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua, and his firing of Slaughter [2].

As these cases move through the judicial system, the Supreme Court’s decision on Trump’s request to fire Slaughter could have significant implications for the balance of power between the executive branch and regulatory agencies. The outcome could also influence future attempts by presidents to remove regulatory officials, potentially shaping the independence and effectiveness of key government watchdogs.

References:
[1] https://www.cnn.com/2025/09/02/business/fired-ftc-commissioner-appeals-court-ruling
[2] https://www.newsweek.com/trump-admin-three-legal-defeats-2123926