Donald J.Trump hails Supreme Court Slaughter ruling as biggest presidential power boost in a century
The 6-3 decision in Trump v. Slaughter overturns a 91-year-old precedent and grants the president authority to fire heads of independent federal agencies.
The 6-3 decision in Trump v. Slaughter overturns a 91-year-old precedent and grants the president authority to fire heads of independent federal agencies.
WHITE HOUSE — Donald J.Trump celebrated the Supreme Court’s decision in Trump v. Slaughter as the greatest expansion of presidential power in 100 years on a Truth Social post on June 29, 2026 at 1:40 PM EST.
Here is the full post (see truthsocial): “Today’s Historic Slaughter Decision by the Supreme Court is the Greatest Increase in Presidential Power in the last 100 years. Such a Monumental Ruling at such an important time! Donald J.Trump”
The Supreme Court ruled 6-3 along ideological lines to overturn a 91-year-old precedent known as Humphrey’s Executor, which had established that the president could only remove heads of independent executive agencies for cause (see iapp.org). The conservative majority held that the president now has authority to fire the leaders of roughly two dozen independent agencies, including the Federal Trade Commission.
The case arose after the Trump administration fired Federal Trade Commissioner Rebecca Kelly Slaughter, who sued for reinstatement. A U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia ordered her return, and the administration appealed through the D.C. Circuit before the Supreme Court took up the matter (see iapp.org).
“The President must have the assistance of officers he can trust,” Chief Justice John Roberts wrote in the majority opinion (see iapp.org). “Subordinates who exercise the President’s power are subject to removal by him. Then, and only then, can they remain accountable to the President, and the President to the people.”
Slaughter told CNBC the decision “hands a massive amount power away from Congress and to the president to shape economic decision-making” (see iapp.org). She called herself “shocked” that the court overturned a unanimous, 91-year-old precedent used to shape government institutions.
The ruling represents a key victory for proponents of the unitary executive theory, a legal concept holding that the president should have total control of the executive branch under powers delegated by Article II of the Constitution (see iapp.org). Legal scholars and consumer advocates have raised concerns about the decision’s impact on agency independence (see consumerfed.org).
The same day, the Supreme Court also ruled 6-3 in Chatrie v. United States, throwing out an appellate ruling that allowed location data obtained through a geofence warrant to be used in a bank robbery case (see iapp.org). Justice Elena Kagan wrote that police “invade a cell-phone user’s reasonable expectation of privacy when they access his Location History.”
Trump has posted 24 times on the topic of legal matters out of 600 total Truth Social posts in the last 30 days.
Source: Zenger real-time database of all Truth Social posts.
Note: Chart generated on June 29, 2026 at 1:57 PM EST
Source: Zenger analysis
Note: Table generated by NewsFindr on June 29, 2026 at 1:57 PM EST