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Supreme Court expands Trump's removal powers but shields Federal Reserve
🇨🇭 Switzerland /Crime & Justice

Supreme Court expands Trump's removal powers but shields Federal Reserve

From Le Temps · () French

Translated from French, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News Sources not specified Outcome reported
  • The U.S. Supreme Court rejected a Republican bid to limit mail-in voting and declined to review Donald Trump's civil fraud conviction.
  • The court granted Trump power to remove heads of independent agencies but protected the Federal Reserve from presidential dismissal.
  • This ruling overturns a 90-year-old precedent, allowing presidents to fire officials in independent agencies without stated cause, a move Trump hailed as a major victory.

The U.S. Supreme Court delivered a mixed ruling on presidential powers, rejecting a Republican effort to restrict mail-in voting while expanding Donald Trump's authority to dismiss leaders of independent agencies. However, the court drew a line by shielding the Federal Reserve from such removals.

great victory

— Donald TrumpTrump's reaction to the Supreme Court ruling expanding his power to remove officials from independent agencies.

In a significant shift, the court overturned a nearly century-old precedent. A majority of six justices ruled that the president can remove officials in agencies exercising executive power, affecting a commissioner of the Federal Trade Commission. This decision, which had been blocked by lower courts, allows for dismissal without stated cause, a move Trump celebrated on his social media platform as a "historic and unprecedented decision."

historic and unprecedented decision

— Donald TrumpTrump's description of the Supreme Court's ruling on presidential powers.

Conversely, the court ruled against Trump in a case involving Federal Reserve Governor Lisa Cook. Five justices determined that the president cannot dismiss her "at will" without giving her a chance to defend herself. Trump downplayed this aspect as a "procedural matter," vowing to take "appropriate action" against individuals he deems unfit for crucial decisions.

one of the most important ever rendered concerning presidential powers

— Donald TrumpTrump's assessment of the significance of the Supreme Court's decision on executive authority.

The case concerning Cook was seen as a test of the legal safeguards separating the executive branch from the nation's monetary policy. Trump had publicly pressured the Federal Reserve for lower interest rates to boost the economy, even attempting to remove former Chair Jerome Powell.

strictly procedural

— Donald TrumpTrump's characterization of the part of the ruling that protected Federal Reserve Governor Lisa Cook from arbitrary dismissal.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by Le Temps in French. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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