The Supreme Court just knocked down one of the last guardrails against authoritarian rule. By a 6–3 shadow docket order, the Court effectively greenlit Trump’s illegal firing of FTC Commissioner Rebecca Slaughter.

Congress created the Federal Trade Commission to be independent — a watchdog shielded from partisan politics. Trump had no “good cause” to fire Slaughter. His only motive was to seize total control. And instead of upholding the law, the Court cowered and sided with him.

This isn’t just about the FTC. It’s about the separation of powers foundational to our democracy. If Congress allows this power grab, it will have surrendered its own Constitutional duty to legislate our government’s structure.

Justice Kagan warned that the Court’s conservative majority has decided “to reshape the nation’s separation of powers” and entrench Trump’s autocracy. They’re doing this through a shadow docket — hot wiring our government with no hearings, no briefs, no transparency.

The danger could not be clearer. If they can do this to the FTC, they can do it to every independent agency — from the SEC to the Fed. That means Trump's loyalists calling every move, punishing enemies and rewarding allies, with no check on his power.

Tell Congress: Reassert your Constitutional role. Rein in a Supreme Court that is legislating from the bench to hand Trump unchecked power.