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Supreme Court ruling in Trump v. Slaughter turbocharges presidential power
The 6-3 ruling expands presidential control over independent agencies and says Humphrey’s Executor has not withstood the test of time.
- On June 29, 2026, the Supreme Court ruled 6-3 in Trump v. Slaughter that President Donald Trump can fire members of independent agencies, overturning a 91-year precedent established in Humphrey's Executor v. United States.
- Congress established independent agencies like the Federal Trade Commission to operate with expertise-based functions insulated from direct presidential control, but the ruling dismantles that structural independence designed to serve the public good.
- Justice Sonia Sotomayor warned in dissent that the ruling grants the president 'unitary, total executive control' and fundamentally 'reshapes our Government,' elevating the executive above Congress and the courts as co-equal branches.
- Trump is now free to fire officials at sensitive agencies including the Nuclear Regulatory Commission and Consumer Product Safety Commission whenever 'he feels like it,' replacing them with loyalists without legal constraint.
- The ruling cements the 'unitary executive theory,' granting the president sweeping control over the executive branch and potentially ending administrative governance as it has functioned for over 90 years, experts warn.
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George F. Will: This Supreme Court ruling would make the Constitution’s framers wince
On Monday, the Supreme Court enlarged presidential power far beyond its already menacing dimensions, which are beyond anything the Founders could have imagined. Self-described “originalist” justices did so in the name of assuring the president’s democratic “accountability.” The original originalists,…
·New Hampshire, United States
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Coverage Details
Total News Sources13
Leaning Left8Leaning Right1Center3Last UpdatedBias Distribution67% Left
Bias Distribution
- 67% of the sources lean Left
67% Left
L 67%
C 25%
Factuality
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