President Trump has terminated the heads of the National Labor Relations Board and the Merit Systems Protection Board, sparking legal challenges over their removal.

Summary

Trump’s recent firings of independent agency heads have triggered legal battles that could lead the Supreme Court to overturn Humphrey’s Executor v. United States (1935), which protects certain officials from at-will removal.

Critics argue Trump is deliberately provoking a test case to expand presidential power.

The DOJ now refuses to defend for-cause removal protections, aiming to bring independent agencies under direct presidential control.

With conservative justices signaling support for revisiting the precedent, the Court may soon decide whether to uphold or dismantle these long-standing protections.