Sep 8, 2025 - Technology

Supreme Court lets Trump fire FTC commissioner for now

Ashley Gold

Rebecca Slaughter at a Congressional hearing — Rebecca Slaughter during a House Judiciary Committee hearing in 2023. Photo: Al Drago/Bloomberg via Getty Images

Chief Justice John Roberts on Monday stayed a lower court ruling that allowed Democratic FTC commissioner Rebecca Slaughter to come back to work.

Why it matters: Slaughter, the only Democrat at the FTC, will have to stop work once again after returning to the agency for a few days — and the Trump administration got a temporary win in its effort to set a new precedent for who the president can fire.

Ultimately, the White House is looking to overturn Humphrey's Executor, a long-standing Supreme Court precedent limiting the president's ability to fire independent agency commissioners without cause.

Driving the news: The Supreme Court did not rule on President Trump's ultimate ability to fire independent agency members, but Slaughter's reinstatement is now on hold again after an appeals court judge ruled in her favor last week.

What's next: Roberts ordered that Slaughter's team respond by Sept. 15.

Go deeper: Why Rebecca Slaughter is determined to go back to the FTC

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Supreme Court lets Trump fire FTC commissioner for now

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