Trump's first major Supreme Court showdown splits justices

The Supreme Court justices essentially punted Donald Trump's first case in the high court, ruling Friday against Trump's bid to immediately oust Hampton Dellinger, the head of the Office of Special Counsel.

The court didn't grant or deny the administration's emergecy request but said Trump couldn't immediately carry out the firing.

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Lower courts previously blocked his effort to terminate Dellinger, and the high court said proceedings in those cases are moving forward quickly.

A hearing is scheduled for Feb. 26.

The court was split in its ruling, NBC News reported. Left-leaning justices Sonia Sotomayor and Ketanji Brown Jackson said they would have rejected Trump's application, and conservative justices Neil Gorsuch and Justice Clarence Thomas said they would have granted it.