Supreme Court Allows Trump to Fire FTC Member for Time Being

The high court’s new ruling temporarily reverses a lower court order reinstating Federal Trade Commission member Rebecca Slaughter.

Federal Trade Commissioner Rebecca Slaughter testifies on the oversight of the Federal Trade Commission before the U.S. Senate Consumer Protection, Product Safety, Insurance, and Data Security Subcommittee in the Russell Senate Office Building in Washington on Nov. 27, 2018. Reuters/Leah Millis/File photo

The Supreme Court on Sept. 8 temporarily allowed President Donald Trump to fire Federal Trade Commission (FTC) member Rebecca Slaughter after a federal appeals court reinstated her last week.

Slaughter, formerly chief counsel to Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.), was first appointed by Trump in 2018 to a seat reserved for Democrats on the FTC and was then reappointed in 2023 by President Joe Biden.