On Monday, the Supreme Court declined to hear former National Labor Relations Board member Gwynne Wilcox’s challenge to her firing. The justices gave no reasons, so the denial settles nothing on the merits. The outcome still matches what I learned running a business and coaching children. They call it the executive branch for a reason, and a duly elected president should be able to appoint leaders he has confidence in.
President Donald Trump fired Wilcox on Jan. 27, 2025. The statute lets a president remove a board member only for neglect of duty or malfeasance in office, after notice and a hearing. In Dec., 2025, the D.C. Circuit held that the board wields substantial executive power, so Congress can’t limit the president’s authority to remove its members. On June 29, a 6-3 Supreme Court overruled Humphrey’s Executor in Trump v. Slaughter, the 1935 precedent that let Congress insulate commissioners. Chief Justice John Roberts wrote that the Federal Trade Commission’s activities fall well within the heartland of executive power. Monday’s denial leaves the D.C. Circuit’s ruling standing.
