Supreme Court Expands Presidential Power Over Independent Agencies

The Supreme Court of the United States issued two consequential rulings on June 29, 2026, regarding the scope of presidential authority over independent regulatory bodies. In Trump v. Slaughter, a 6-3 majority overruled the 91-year-old Humphrey’s Executor precedent, determining that Congress cannot constitutionally prevent the president from dismissing commissioners of independent agencies at will. This decision affirmed Donald Trump's 2025 removal of Federal Trade Commission commissioner Rebecca Slaughter and effectively endorsed the unitary executive theory.

Simultaneously, in Trump v. Cook, a 5-4 majority blocked the president's attempt to remove Federal Reserve Governor Lisa Cook. Chief Justice John Roberts wrote that Trump failed to provide Cook with the statutory procedural protections required to dispute charges of mortgage fraud, which he had used as the basis for her dismissal in August 2025. While the Court expanded presidential power generally, it exempted the Federal Reserve Board due to historical reasons and the need to prevent financial instability.

Lisa Cook argued that the fraud allegations were a "manufactured pretext" intended to remove her for refusing to bow to political pressure regarding interest rates. Justice Amy Coney Barrett noted in her dissent that the two rulings appear to be "in serious tension," as they create a legal distinction between the central bank and other independent agencies. Following the decision, Donald Trump stated his administration would take "appropriate action immediately" and noted that the case had been sent back on a "strictly procedural basis."