Supreme Court backs Trump's firing of FTC member

Supreme Court backs Trump’s firing of FTC member, ruling that the president can remove a Democratic Federal Trade Commission commissioner over policy differences rather than only for “cause.” The decision in Washington on June 29 reversed earlier rulings that blocked Donald Trump’s dismissal of Rebecca Slaughter, a Democratic commissioner appointed by Joe Biden whose term ran until 2029. The Court relied on a U.S. statute allowing removals only for inefficiency, neglect of duty, or malfeasance, a framework tied to the 1935 Humphrey’s Executor precedent. Slaughter was targeted in March 2025 with another Democratic FTC commissioner. A district judge and the D.C. Circuit had upheld the tenure protections, but the Supreme Court allowed the firing to take effect in September. The Trump administration argued under a “unitary executive” theory that modern FTC power justifies broader removal authority.