Trump v. Slaughter
Argued: Dec. 8, 2025
What the case is about: Rebecca Slaughter, who was the last remaining Democratic member of the Federal Trade Commission, is challenging her removal by President Donald Trump. The Supreme Court has allowed Trump to remove her for now.
The case is also a test of a major Supreme Court ruling from the 1930s.
Why it matters: The court seemed open to overturning a 90-year-old precedent, known as Humphrey’s Executor, that allowed Congress to create non-partisan, independent agencies whose leaders are insulated from political interference by the president.
In Slaughter’s case, Congress set up the FTC to be independent of the president by mandating commissioners could be removed only for “inefficiency, neglect of duty, or malfeasance.” Trump has not alleged any misconduct by Slaughter. A win for Trump would give him and future presidents far greater political control over a range of powerful agencies, including the Federal Communications Commission, National Labor Relations Board and Federal Trade Commission.
