President Donald Trump celebrated on Monday, the 29th, calling the Supreme Court's expansion of the president's authority to remove the heads of independent federal agencies a landmark victory.

On Truth Social, President Trump stated, "We just had a major victory at the Supreme Court regarding the Slaughter case," adding, "It is a ruling that confirms the president has the authority under Article II of the Constitution to remove executive branch officials, government agency appointees, or members of the House."

He added, "This ruling is something that U.S. presidents have long desired since the 1930s," noting, "I feel greatly honored to be the incumbent president who has secured one of the most important and unprecedented rulings in history regarding presidential power."

In a 6-3 decision, the Supreme Court ruled the removal of Democratic Federal Trade Commission (FTC) Commissioner Rebecca Slaughter as lawful, effectively overturning the 1935 precedent of 'Humphrey's Executor v. United States,' which had limited a president's authority to remove heads of certain independent agencies without cause.

According to Reuters, this ruling invalidates statutory protections for the terms of FTC commissioners established by Congress over a century ago and significantly expands the president's authority over executive branch officials.

The legal battle originated from President Trump's removal of Commissioner Slaughter in March 2025, citing policy differences.

Early in the litigation, a federal district court had blocked the removal based on the 1935 precedent, which prevented the removal of officials in certain independent agencies except for causes such as neglect of duty or malfeasance.

However, the Supreme Court overturned these decisions, concluding that Article II of the Constitution grants the president greater power to supervise and remove executive branch officials.

Newsmax reported that this signifies a major victory for proponents of the "unitary executive theory," which the Trump administration embraces. This theory posits that the president holds broad authority over the executive branch and must have the power to remove officials who exercise executive power.

The FTC is one of more than 20 independent federal agencies that have historically enjoyed legal protections ensuring their heads cannot be removed without just cause.

Meanwhile, the Supreme Court drew attention on the same day as it is expected to reach a different conclusion regarding the removal of Federal Reserve governors. 

According to Newsmax, this decision could have broad implications for various agencies, including the National Labor Relations Board and the Office of Personnel Management.

During oral arguments, the court's liberal justices warned that expanding the president's removal power could undermine Congress's intent to place independent experts in critical fields such as financial regulation, labor policy, and consumer protection.

However, the conservative majority agreed with the Trump administration's argument that the modern-day FTC exercises significant administrative power and therefore falls under the president's constitutional authority to supervise the executive branch.

In another Truth Social post, President Trump wrote, "To show the importance of the Slaughter case, a 90-year-old precedent has been completely and clearly overturned, which greatly strengthens presidential power at a time when such power is desperately needed!"

He further emphasized in another post, "Today’s historic 'Slaughter' ruling by the Supreme Court is the largest expansion of presidential power in the last 100 years. It is a truly landmark ruling delivered at such a critical time!"

NNP USA = Representative Reporter Hong Sung-gu / Special Syndicate NNP info@newsandpost.com