Executive Power Shift
Supreme Court Decision Expands Presidential Power Over Independent Agencies, Weakening Congress
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The Supreme Court struck down 91 years of legal precedent on June 29, 2026, ruling 6-3 that President Trump had the right to fire Democratic FTC Commissioners Rebecca Kelly Slaughter and Alvaro Bedoya. The decision in *Trump v. Slaughter* effectively ends the independence of federal regulatory agencies, meaning the president can now remove agency heads for political reasons — not just misconduct. KOMO News reported Justice Clarence Thomas was spotted walking through the Capitol the same morning the ruling dropped.
Chief Justice John Roberts, writing for the majority, said that "subordinates who exercise the President's power must be accountable to the President." Justice Sonia Sotomayor read a blistering dissent from the bench, calling the ruling a "loyalty test" and a power grab "unknown even to the English Crown."
A 91-Year Precedent Falls in One Morning
Since 1935, a case called *Humphrey's Executor v. United States* protected leaders of independent agencies from being fired by the president. Congress built those agencies — like the FTC and the NLRB — to operate free from partisan pressure. The six conservative justices wiped out that protection entirely, according to News Channel 9.
The ruling follows a legal theory called the "unitary executive." That theory says Article II of the Constitution gives the president total control over anyone doing executive-branch work. Two earlier rulings — *Seila Law v. CFPB* (2020) and *Collins v. Yellen* (2021) — had already chipped away at single-headed agencies. *Trump v. Slaughter* now extends that logic to multi-member boards.
The Federal Reserve Gets a Narrow Escape — For Now
On the same day, the Court also ruled 5-4 in *Trump v. Cook*, involving Trump's attempt to fire Federal Reserve Governor Lisa Cook. Roberts and Kavanaugh sided with the three liberal justices to block that firing — but only on procedural grounds. The administration failed to give Cook proper pre-termination notice, according to Idaho News.
That narrow escape left financial markets cautious but relieved. The Court did not rule that the Federal Reserve is permanently protected. It left the door open for a future president to try again with the right paperwork in hand. Critics warn the Fed's independence is now one lawsuit away from collapse.
Regulators at NLRB, FERC, and FCC Now Serve at Will
The ruling makes agency heads across the government effectively "at-will" employees of the White House. That includes officials at the EEOC, NLRB, FERC, NRC, and FCC, according to WLOS. Any of them can now be fired for disagreeing with administration policy — not just for wrongdoing.
Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-Md.) called the ruling a "wrecking ball" to 90 years of law. Consumer advocates warned of "corporate capture" of agencies meant to protect the public. Stakeholders are expected to shift their lobbying focus from the agencies themselves to the White House and the Office of Management and Budget, which now hold the ultimate power over regulatory leadership.
Thomas Walks Through the Capitol, Laughs Off Questions
While the ruling made headlines, so did an unusual scene at the Capitol. Justice Clarence Thomas — one of the six justices who voted to strip agency independence — was spotted walking through the building around 11:30 AM on June 29. When reporters asked why he was there, he said, "Oh, nobody... just walking," and laughed, according to WGME.
Thomas's visit fueled speculation about a private meeting with House Republicans or the House physician, though none was confirmed. His most recent financial disclosure, released shortly before the ruling, showed $18,000 in outside income from teaching. The combination of the Capitol visit and the landmark ruling drew sharp attention to the justice on one of the Court's biggest days in decades.
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