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Snapshot 6:Mon, Dec 8, 2025 10:14:15 PM GMT last edited by Nick

Supreme Court Weighs Trump's Power to Fire FTC Official

Supreme Court Weighs Trump's Power to Fire FTC Official

Supreme Court Weighs Trump's Power to Fire FTC Official
Above: The U.S. Supreme Court in Washington, D.C. on Dec. 8, 2025. Image credit: Graeme Sloan/Bloomberg/Getty Images

The Spin

For too long, independent agencies have wrongly escaped democratic accountability because of Humphrey's Executor. Agencies, including the FTC, now wield sweeping executive power, so the president must be able to remove commissioners who defy elected priorities. By ending this outdated precedent, SCOTUS would restore constitutional clarity and fix the century-long drift toward an unaccountable fourth branch of government.

If SCOTUS ends 90 years of precedent to let Trump fire independent regulators at will, it will hand unchecked power to giant corporations and billionaires, gutting essential institutions that ensure fairness and competition. Independent agencies, like the FTC, have proven vital to long-term economic stability for workers, consumers and businesses alike. This march toward oligarchy threatens the legitimacy of SCOTUS.

There'sFor atoo 12%long, chanceindependent thatagencies anhave attemptwrongly willescaped bedemocratic madeaccountability tobecause fireof JeromeHumphrey's PowellExecutor. asAgencies, Chairincluding of the BoardFTC, ofnow Governorswield ofsweeping theexecutive Federalpower, Reserveso orthe hispresident rolemust asbe Chairable ofto theremove Federalcommissioners Openwho Marketdefy Committeeelected beforepriorities. theBy endending ofthis hisoutdated termprecedent, accordingSCOTUS towould restore constitutional clarity and fix the Metaculuscentury-long predictiondrift communitytoward an unaccountable fourth branch of government.

If SCOTUS ends 90 years of precedent to let Trump fire independent regulators at will, it will hand unchecked power to giant corporations and billionaires, gutting essential institutions that ensure fairness and competition. Independent agencies, like the FTC, have proven vital to long-term economic stability for workers, consumers and businesses alike. This march toward oligarchy threatens the legitimacy of SCOTUS.

Metaculus Prediction

There's a 12% chance that an attempt will be made to fire Jerome Powell as Chair of the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve or his role as Chair of the Federal Open Market Committee before the end of his term, according to the Metaculus prediction community.


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© 2025 Improve the News Foundation. All rights reserved.Version 6.18.0

© 2025 Improve the News Foundation.

All rights reserved.

Version 6.18.0