Supreme Court reins in Trump on Fed firing but broadens control over other agencies

The Supreme Court issued a pair of rulings that simultaneously check and expand presidential authority, blocking President Trump's attempt to fire Federal Reserve board member Lisa Cook while granting him greater power to remove officials at other independent agencies. The decisions, both authored by Chief Justice John Roberts, also upheld state laws that count mail ballots arriving after Election Day, a move CNN described as an unexpected check on Trump's long-running criticisms of mail-in voting.

"represented an unexpected rebuff of Trump's longstanding attacks on mail-in voting."

According to NBC News, the rulings illustrate the conservative-majority court's mixed approach to executive power. While the court refused to allow Trump to remove Cook from the Fed, it permitted the firing of Federal Trade Commission Commissioner Rebecca Slaughter, signaling that the president's removal authority over most independent agencies is now broader than before.

"The decisions illustrate the conservative-majority court's mixed approach to executive power."

CNN reported that the expansion of firing power carries significant implications for the balance of power between the executive branch and independent federal agencies. The ruling on mail ballot deadlines, meanwhile, directly counters Trump's repeated claims that mail-in voting is susceptible to fraud, as the court allowed states to count ballots postmarked by Election Day but received shortly after.

Taken together, the two rulings show a court willing to draw lines on presidential power, protecting some pockets of independence at the Fed while cutting away at others. The practical effect, as NBC News noted, is that Trump gains more control over many regulatory agencies, even as he lost the fight to oust Cook from the central bank.