In his second term, Trump has acted like a belligerent manager of the federal workforce. Trump v. Slaughter could give him unrestricted firing authority.

The Supreme Court heard arguments over the president's authority to remove members of many independent agencies that Congress has sought to insulate from political pressure.

A ruling in the president’s favor in the case, which deals with his attempt to remove a member of the Federal Trade Commission, would be a major expansion of presidential authority.

The Trump administration’s push to expand control over independent federal agencies comes before a sympathetic Supreme Court that could overturn a 90-year-old decision limiting when presidents can fire board members.