The U.S. Supreme Court on Wednesday handed another major victory to President Donald Trump, ruling in favor of his administration’s effort to remove three Democratic commissioners from the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC). The decision marks Trump’s 16th consecutive win before the conservative-leaning High Court.
Why It Matters
The ruling underscores the Supreme Court’s continued support for Trump’s use of executive power, particularly through the court’s emergency or “shadow” docket, where rulings are made rapidly and often without full briefing or oral argument. The 6–3 conservative majority has repeatedly sided with the administration on a broad range of issues including:
- Downsizing the federal bureaucracy
- Immigration crackdowns and deportations
- Weakening protections for LGBTQ+ individuals
- Removing independent agency heads
- Expanding presidential authority
Case Background
On Wednesday, the Court granted the Department of Justice’s emergency appeal to overturn a lower court decision that had reinstated the three Democratic commissioners at the CPSC. The DOJ argued that the president, as head of the executive branch, has the authority to fire agency commissioners at will—without citing cause.
The three liberal justices dissented, aligning with U.S. District Judge Matthew Maddox, who had ruled last month that the firings were unlawful. Maddox, a Biden appointee, had emphasized the CPSC’s semi-independent status and its vital role in consumer safety oversight.
Sharp Dissent from Liberal Justices
Justice Elena Kagan, writing for the dissent, warned that the decision effectively guts a key precedent set by the 1935 Humphrey’s Executor v. United States ruling, which limited the president’s power to remove certain independent agency officials.
Kagan criticized the Court’s use of the emergency docket, writing:
“On a short fuse, without benefit of full briefing and oral argument, the majority has effectively expunged Humphrey’s from the U.S.”
She was joined by Justices Sonia Sotomayor and Ketanji Brown Jackson.
Reactions from Legal Experts and Lawmakers
Constitutional law scholar Samuel Breidbart of the Brennan Center at NYU Law commented on Bluesky:
“SCOTUS continues to use the shadow docket to transform American government. Today, the Court allowed President Trump to fire three more independent agency commissioners—this time at the CPSC—against Congress’s intent.”
Senator Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) posted on X:
“The CPSC protects families, homes, and businesses from unsafe products. Trump’s effort to dismantle this bipartisan watchdog agency is a dangerous disservice.”
However, some praised the decision. The House Committee on Small Business wrote:
“@HouseSmallBiz applauds the SCOTUS decision to uphold @POTUS’s termination of former CPSC Commissioner Trumka. This is a win for small businesses harmed by burdensome regulations.”
What’s Next?
More challenges over removals of independent agency officials are headed to the Court—including a key case involving a member of the Federal Trade Commission, the same agency central to the original Humphrey’s Executor precedent. Legal scholars warn the rulings could reshape the balance of power between the presidency and Congress for years to come.
