Overview
- The Court heard Trump v. Slaughter, which tests whether the FTC Act’s for-cause limits on removing commissioners are compatible with Article II.
- Rebecca Slaughter argues her ouster violated the statute, while the president counters that such removal protections are unconstitutional.
- Several justices, notably Neil Gorsuch, challenged a theory that would shield civil regulators from presidential control even as criminal prosecutors remain answerable to the president.
- The dispute puts the 1935 Humphrey’s Executor precedent under direct scrutiny, with briefing asking whether it should be limited or overruled.
- Right-leaning commentary portrays the case as a broader challenge to independent agencies and as a move to reassert presidential control over civil enforcement power.