Story perspectives

SCOTUS Stays Trump’s Attempt to Fire Fed Governor Cook

6/29/2026

Summary

Story summary

On June 29 2026, the Supreme Court stayed Donald Trump’s effort to fire Federal Reserve Governor Lisa Cook, letting her remain while her lawsuit proceeds.
Chief Justice John Roberts authored the majority, joined by Justice Brett Kavanaugh and three liberal justices, and required Donald Trump to give Lisa Cook notice and a response.
The same ruling affirmed Donald Trump’s power to remove officials of other independent agencies, overturning the Humphrey’s Executor precedent.

History

Historical Context

After President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s 1933 firing of FTC commissioner William Humphrey, the 1935 Supreme Court ruling in Humphrey’s Executor limited presidential removal of independent-agency officials. The precedent guided agency autonomy for decades until the Roberts Court, in a June 29 2026 decision authored by Chief Justice John Roberts, declared the FTC’s for-cause protections unconstitutional—91 years after the original ruling.

1 of 2

Story summary

On June 29 2026, the Supreme Court stayed Donald Trump’s effort to fire Federal Reserve Governor Lisa Cook, letting her remain while her lawsuit proceeds.
Chief Justice John Roberts authored the majority, joined by Justice Brett Kavanaugh and three liberal justices, and required Donald Trump to give Lisa Cook notice and a response.
The same ruling affirmed Donald Trump’s power to remove officials of other independent agencies, overturning the Humphrey’s Executor precedent.

1 / 2