NextFin news, WASHINGTON — On Monday, October 6, 2025, the U.S. Supreme Court announced it will consider a pivotal case concerning former President Donald Trump’s authority to remove a member of the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), Rebecca Kelly Slaughter, despite statutory limits on presidential firing powers.
The dispute centers on whether Trump had the legal right to fire Slaughter, who challenged her removal in court. The case raises constitutional questions about the separation of powers and the extent of executive authority under Article II of the U.S. Constitution.
While the Supreme Court deliberates, a lower court ruling that favored Slaughter will be stayed, meaning she will not remain in office during the litigation. This decision follows a temporary stay issued by Chief Justice John Roberts on September 8, 2025, which allowed Trump to remove Slaughter pending the Court’s final ruling.
The case tests the 1935 Supreme Court precedent Humphrey's Executor v. United States, which upheld restrictions on the president’s ability to remove FTC commissioners without cause. The conservative-majority Court will decide whether to uphold or overturn this longstanding precedent, which also affects other independent federal agencies with similar protections.
Slaughter’s legal team argues that removal protections are essential to preserving the independence and integrity of regulatory agencies, warning that unchecked executive power over these bodies could have significant negative consequences for the economy and ordinary Americans.
Attorney General Pam Bondi supported the Court’s intervention, stating on social media that "the president, not a lower court judge, has hiring and firing power over executive officials." The Trump administration has sought to reshape federal agencies by asserting broad executive control, including firing thousands of federal employees and attempting to influence independent bodies such as the Federal Reserve.
Trump fired both Democratic FTC commissioners, Slaughter and Alvaro Bedoya, in March 2025. While Bedoya later withdrew from the legal challenge, Slaughter continued to contest her removal. A federal judge and the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit ruled in her favor, citing the Humphrey's Executor precedent.
The Supreme Court is expected to hear oral arguments in December 2025. The outcome could have far-reaching implications for the balance of power between the executive branch and independent federal agencies, potentially redefining presidential authority over regulatory bodies.
The case is part of a broader pattern of the Supreme Court’s conservative majority granting victories to Trump and Republican-led states, often limiting judicial checks on executive actions. Recent rulings have empowered states on social issues and curtailed the power of lower courts to issue nationwide injunctions against federal policies.
As the Court prepares to address this high-profile case, legal experts and policymakers await a decision that could clarify or significantly alter the scope of presidential removal powers and the independence of federal regulatory agencies.
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