Supreme Court rules Trump cannot fire Fed member Lisa Cook; grants him more power over other independent agencies

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4. Live Updates: Supreme Court Expands Presidential Power Over Regulators, but Blocks Fed Firing for Now

https://www.nytimes.com/live/2026/06/29/us/trump-supreme-court-presidential-power?unlocked_article_code=1.t1A.SgZE.RiOJvT0IoYbH&smid=url-share


"President Trump’s firing of an F.T.C. commissioner tested a precedent that has insulated independent regulators. But the justices carved out the “unique role” of the Federal Reserve.

...In a major expansion of presidential authority, the Supreme Court cleared the way on Monday for President Trump to fire independent government regulators despite federal laws meant to protect their jobs. But the justices separately carved out an exception for the Federal Reserve, preventing the president from immediately removing Lisa D. Cook from the powerful central bank.

The court’s 6-to-3 ruling to broadly allow the firings, with the three liberal justices dissenting, represented a significant shift in power from Congress to the president and could usher in a drastic change to the federal government’s structure by giving the president more direct control over independent agencies.

The decision in favor of Lisa Cook is limited. She cannot be removed while the litigation proceeds, the court rules. But, as Justice Brett M. Kavanaugh writes in a concurring opinion, “today’s interim ruling does not decide whether the president may lawfully remove Governor Cook for cause.”