President Trump wins again!

The Supreme Court just granted President Trump a big win, allowing him to continue with the firing of FTC Commissioner Rebecca Kelly Slaughter.

Actually, to be more specific, it was Chief Justice John Roberts who made this ruling.

CBS News explains more here:

Chief Justice John Roberts has allowed President Trump to remove a member of the Federal Trade Commission for now.

The chief justice granted interim relief to the Trump administration Monday while the Supreme Court takes more time to consider its request to lift a lower court order requiring Rebecca Kelly Slaughter to be reinstated to her position at the commission.

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Slaughter is one of several appointees at independent agencies that the president has removed. The Supreme Court has allowed Mr. Trump to fire members of the National Labor Relations Board, the Merit Systems Protection Board and the Consumer Product Safety Commission while legal challenges to the removals move forward.

Mr. Trump appointed Slaughter to the FTC in 2018, and former President Joe Biden reappointed her to the role. Her term was set to expire in 2029.

But in March, Slaughter received an email from the White House Office of Presidential Personnel, which contained a message from Mr. Trump informing her that she had been removed from the FTC. Slaughter sued the president and officials at the FTC, arguing that her removal violated the Federal Trade Commission Act. That law limits the grounds that a president can remove a commissioner to inefficiency, neglect of duty or malfeasance in office.

If you’re a bit confused on the mechanics here on how Chief Justice Roberts was able to act alone, allow me to explain…

How Chief Justice Roberts Can Rule Solo — The “In-Chambers” Authority

  • Circuit Justice Role: Each Supreme Court justice serves as the Circuit Justice for one or more federal judicial circuits. In this capacity, they handle emergency matters arising from their assigned circuits—such as requests for stays or injunctions—without involving the full Court.

  • Shadow Docket: These emergency decisions are typically made through the shadow docket, meaning they are expedited, often unsigned, and issued with minimal elaboration. They are used when urgent intervention is needed—like preserving the status quo while a dispute plays out in lower courts.

Thus, Chief Justice Roberts acting alone is entirely proper: as the relevant Circuit Justice, he can grant temporary relief, such as a stay, under this process.

What Actually Happened in the Slaughter Case

1. The Background

  • President Trump attempted to fire FTC Commissioner Rebecca Slaughter, who sued, arguing that under the FTC’s organic statute and the precedent set in Humphrey’s Executor v. United States (1935), she could only be removed “for cause.” Lower courts ordered her reinstated.

2. Emergency Application to the Supreme Court

  • The administration filed an emergency appeal to the Supreme Court, seeking a stay of the lower-court order reinstating Slaughter while the legal dispute proceeds.

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3. Chief Justice Roberts Grants Relief

  • What he did: Chief Justice Roberts granted an administrative stay, temporarily preventing Slaughter’s reinstatement, and thus allowing the executive to continue excluding her from the FTC—for now.

  • Form of the relief: This is not a final ruling on the merits. It is a temporary stay, a type of emergency administrative order—not a full injunction from the Court.

  • He also ordered Slaughter to respond to the appeal by a specified date.

Summary Table

Aspect Details
Authority Roberts acted as Circuit Justice, permitted to make emergency rulings on his own.
Mechanism Through the shadow docket, i.e., expedited emergency procedures.
Decision Issued A stay of the lower-court reinstatement order—not a final judgment or full injunction.
Nature of Relief Temporary: preserves status quo while further legal proceedings move forward.
Additional Orders Directed Slaughter to respond by a certain date.

Bottom Line

Chief Justice Roberts legally and procedurally issued a temporary emergency stay, staying the appellate reinstatement of FTC Commissioner Slaughter. He did this alone, wielding his Circuit Justice authority under the Supreme Court’s shadow docket, not issuing a final injunction but simply preserving the status quo while the case continues.

 

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