US Supreme Court widens presidential power over agency removals

01-Jul-2026

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The US Supreme Court on June 29 expanded presidential power by upholding President Donald Trump's removal of the heads of independent federal agencies, while making one exception for the Federal Reserve. The ruling means presidents can remove agency heads at will in most cases, despite federal laws that say such dismissals must be backed by a reason.

The court, however, allowed Federal Reserve governor Lisa Cook to remain in her post while she challenges Trump's attempt to remove her over allegations of mortgage fraud, which she has denied. In doing so, the nine-member court set aside its 91-year-old unanimous ruling in Humphrey's Executor, which had limited when presidents could remove members of agency boards in order to protect decisions from political influence.