President Donald Trump dismissed the two Democratic commissioners at the U.S. Federal Trade Commission on Tuesday, a move they claim was illegal and a violation of agency independence. Alvaro Bedoya and Rebecca Kelly Slaughter said their firings defied federal law and Supreme Court precedent, which protects FTC commissioners from removal without good cause. A White House official confirmed the dismissals but did not provide further comment.

The decision follows Trump’s previous firings of officials from other independent agencies, including the National Labor Relations Board, sparking legal challenges. The U.S. Supreme Court’s 1935 ruling upheld protections for bipartisan, multi-member regulatory agencies, limiting presidential control over their leadership. However, Trump’s February 18 executive order expanded White House authority over independent agencies, signaling a broader effort to challenge these legal constraints.

FTC Chairman Andrew Ferguson and Republican Commissioner Melissa Holyoak have publicly supported Trump’s position, asserting that the White House holds the power to remove agency officials. The move intensifies ongoing legal and political debates over executive authority and the autonomy of regulatory bodies.