Europe Media: Supreme Court could strengthen president's powers
According to media reports, the US Supreme Court, which has a conservative majority, is leaning towards expanding the powers of the US President. The "New York Times", "Politico" and CNN, among others, citing a hearing on Monday, reported that Donald Trump's dismissal of a commissioner of the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) could be declared lawful. A lower court had previously classified Trump's actions as unlawful.
08.12.2025, 21:03
SDA
The case is considered to be of particular importance as it raises fundamental questions about the separation of powers and how far a president's powers extend: Can he simply fire senior federal agency staff?
In this case, Trump had dismissed a Democratic Commissioner of the Federal Trade Commission (FTC). According to the media, she had to leave due to political disagreements between the government and the official. The commissioner took legal action against her dismissal. Normally, a president may only fire senior members of independent authorities for "inefficiency, dereliction of duty or abuse of office".
Critics fear attack on the independence of authorities
Critics saw this as an attempt to undermine the independence of authorities such as the FTC. Supporters, on the other hand, argue that a president must have complete control over the executive.
The Supreme Court had ruled unanimously in a similar case in 1935 that the president's dismissal of an FTC commissioner was illegal. Independent federal agencies issued regulations and adjudicated disputes, so they must be distinguished from the executive branch, the court argued at the time. They should therefore not be subject to arbitrary influence by a president.
Trump also wants to crack down on other institutions
This is not the first time that Trump has forced dismissals: on the way to a less independent board of the US Federal Reserve, Trump also targeted Fed Governor Lisa Cook. He wants to get rid of her for alleged mortgage fraud. Cook denies any wrongdoing. The case is now also before the US Supreme Court. There, Trump recently suffered a setback in his dismissal attempt - but the last word has not yet been spoken. He also threatened Fed Chairman Jerome Powell with dismissal on several occasions.
