Supreme Court Day: Trump Wins Big but Faces Two Big Losses
On the last day of the Supreme Court term, the big headline was that Trump could wield much more power. But that day also saw two defeats that rattled the president.
1. Trump Gets a Huge Boost on Presidential Power
The court ruled that a president can fire regulators who are supposed to be independent if those regulators are “subordinates who exercise the president’s power.” That means the president can now replace people in dozens of agencies – from the FTC to the IRS – whenever they disagree.
Trump celebrated the ruling and said it would happen soon after the new term begins.
2. A Surprise Team Stops Trump’s Plan to Fire a Fed Governor
Trump tried to remove Lisa Cook from the Federal Reserve Board. The court said no – a vote of five to four. Roberts and Kavanaugh, who normally side with Trump, joined the three liberal justices to block the move.
Roberts warned that giving presidents the power to fire Fed governors would create big problems for the economy.
3. Trump’s Defamation Appeal is Dismissed
The court also decided not to review a $5 million judgment against Trump from a 2023 jury that found he defamed E. Jean Carroll. Trump posted angry comments on Truth Social, but the appeal failed.
This shows that even while winning some battles, Trump can still lose crucial ones in the courts.
