US Supreme Court hands Trump mixed rulings in major legal day, including FTC firing power

The US Supreme Court has issued a set of consequential rulings involving President Donald Trump, delivering three decisions against him and one in his favour. The most significant ruling expanded presidential authority to remove a commissioner of the Federal Trade Commission without giving a reason, in a 6-3 decision. The court also dealt with disputes involving mail-in ballots, the E Jean Carroll case and the firing of Lisa Cook.

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In the FTC case, the justices backed Trump's dismissal of Democratic commissioner Rebecca Slaughter, overturning a 1935 precedent that had helped shield some leaders of independent regulatory agencies from at-will removal. Trump had dismissed Slaughter last year without stating a reason, and lower courts had upheld her claim that the move violated protections Congress had put in place for members of dozens of independent agencies. The ruling is expected to have wide-ranging implications for the balance of power between the White House and independent regulators.

The decision comes as Trump continues to seek broader executive authority in his second term, with the court's ruling strengthening his hand over parts of the federal bureaucracy. Trump welcomed the outcome in a social media post, saying it expanded presidential power "at a time when it is most needed". He also described it as one of the most important rulings ever issued on presidential powers.

In dissent, Justice Sonia Sotomayor said the majority had upended the separation of powers and warned that chaos would follow. The ruling matters beyond the immediate dispute because independent agencies have long been designed to operate with some distance from direct political control. The FTC is one of several regulators whose leaders have been protected by law and precedent from removal without cause, a safeguard intended to preserve continuity in areas such as competition policy and consumer protection.

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By weakening that protection, the court has reopened a long-running constitutional debate over how much control a president should have over agencies created by Congress. The broader set of rulings also underscores the court's central role in shaping the legal environment around Trump's presidency. The same day's decisions touched on voting rights and a sexual assault judgment, showing that the court is still a decisive arena for disputes involving the administration and its opponents.

The mixed outcome also reflects the continuing tension between Trump's efforts to expand executive power and the legal limits imposed by Congress and the courts. The FTC case is especially notable because it rests on a precedent dating back to 1935, when the court recognised that Congress could protect certain agency leaders from being removed at will. That framework has been part of the modern administrative state for decades, and it has helped define the independence of regulators in areas where political pressure is often a concern.

The court's new ruling may therefore influence not only the FTC but also other agencies whose leaders have similar protections. The immediate legal and political consequences are still unfolding, and it remains unclear how far the ruling will be applied in future disputes over agency removals. It is also not yet clear how the other rulings issued on the same day will affect the separate cases involving mail-in ballots, E Jean Carroll and Lisa Cook.

What to watch next is whether the decision prompts further challenges to the structure of independent agencies or leads to additional efforts by Trump to reshape the federal government.