Supreme Court Backs Trump’s Firing of Biden Appointees, Bolsters Executive Power

In a decisive ruling, the Supreme Court has backed President Donald Trump’s move to remove two Democratic appointees, Gwynne Wilcox and Cathy Harris, from key federal boards, cementing the president’s authority to reshape agency leadership. This decision, handed down on Thursday, marks a significant win for the Trump administration, reinforcing the executive’s power to dismiss officials without cause, despite decades-old precedent suggesting otherwise.

The case centered on Wilcox, a member of the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB), and Harris, part of the Merit Systems Protection Board (MSPB), both appointed by President Joe Biden. Their abrupt terminations earlier this year sparked lawsuits claiming the firings were unlawful. The Trump administration argued that allowing these officials to remain would undermine the president’s control over the executive branch, potentially paralyzing critical functions for months or even years.

The Court’s decision sidesteps a 90-year-old precedent, Humphrey’s Executor, which historically limited a president’s ability to fire independent agency members without justification. The three liberal justices—Elena Kagan, Sonia Sotomayor, and Ketanji Brown Jackson—dissented, with Kagan sharply noting that this ruling signals a shift toward a more submissive executive branch, unseen since the days of Herbert Hoover. She warned of a judiciary eager to grant presidents unchecked power, a trend she dubbed a step toward a ‘unitary’ administration.

Interestingly, the Court hinted it might protect Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell from similar removal attempts, given Trump’s public frustration over Powell’s reluctance to slash interest rates. This nuance suggests the justices are drawing a line, balancing executive authority with the independence of certain agencies.

The ruling overturns a D.C. Circuit Court decision that briefly reinstated Wilcox and Harris, citing long-standing Supreme Court precedent. The Trump administration’s swift appeal and the Court’s emergency stay ensured the firings stood, highlighting the high stakes of this legal battle. This case is part of a broader wave of challenges testing the boundaries of executive power, with implications for how agencies like the NLRB and MSPB function moving forward.