The Supreme Court gave Trump new powers, with one telling exception.

Key Points:

• The Supreme Court issued two contradictory decisions authored by Chief Justice John Roberts: Trump v. Slaughter, which allows the president to fire independent agency leaders at will, and Trump v. Cook, which exempts the Federal Reserve from this rule to protect its independence.
• Experts argue these rulings reflect a partisan effort to expand presidential control while safeguarding financial markets and big business interests, revealing a selective approach to executive power.
• The Court’s decision in Slaughter undermines the independence of numerous agencies responsible for nonpartisan functions like public health, consumer safety, and workers' rights, potentially allowing politicization of these areas.
• The ruling threatens civil service protections by implying the president could have broad authority to fire career civil servants, risking a major shift away from merit-based government employment and potentially degrading government effectiveness.
• The Federal Reserve’s special exemption is seen as a self-interested move by the Court to protect Wall Street-aligned institutions, while other agencies are labeled as part of the “deep state” and stripped of independence.