A person wears a MAGA (Make America Great Again) visor outside the U.S. Supreme Court, on the day justices have issued orders, in Washington, D.C., U.S., June 29, 2026. REUTERS/Cheney Orr TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY
The Supreme Court's conservative majority voted 6-3 Monday to overturn a landmark 1935 ruling that limited presidential authority over independent agencies.
The decision overturned Humphrey's Executor, a precedent protecting Federal Trade Commission members from arbitrary removal.
The Trump v. Slaughter case centered on President Donald Trump's March 2025 firing of Federal Trade Commissioner Rebecca Slaughter, the agency's last Democratic member, citing inconsistency with administration priorities.
Justice Sonia Sotomayor's dissent contended the ruling suggested, "all three branches of Government have been acting in open defiance of the Constitution all this time."
In a separate case, the court ruled 5-4, declaring Trump lacked the authority to fire Federal Reserve Governor Lisa Cook, creating divergent outcomes authored by Chief Justice John Roberts.
Legal experts criticized the contradictory decisions, with commentators noting the rulings appear to protect financial institutions while exposing consumer protection agencies to executive removal.
"There's no sugar-coating Slaughter," wrote Georgetown law professor Steve Vladek.
"It's an enormously important ruling (far more important than the other three decisions #SCOTUS handed down today). It's a huge win for Trump/the executive. And it's going to have massive ramifications for the functioning of the government long after Trump is gone."
Watch the video.