Trump Can Fire Biden-Appointed Officials At Independent Federal Agencies, Appeals Court Rules
Trump Can Fire Biden-Appointed Officials At Independent Federal Agencies, Appeals Court Rules

For years, unelected bureaucrats have wielded enormous power in Washington. Hidden behind the curtain of “independent agencies.” Operating with little accountability. Resistant to the will of voters.

Many Americans have grown frustrated with this permanent administrative state. We’ve watched as career officials obstruct the policies of democratically elected presidents. Especially when those presidents challenge the status quo.

Presidents are supposed to run the executive branch. That’s what the Constitution says. That’s what we expect when we cast our ballots. Isn’t that the whole point of elections?

Now a federal appeals court has delivered a major victory for presidential authority. The U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit ruled that President Donald Trump has the constitutional right to fire officials from supposedly “independent” federal agencies.

Court Affirms Presidential Authority

The court ruled 2-1 that Trump can remove Cathy Harris from the Merit Systems Protection Board and Gwynne Wilcox from the National Labor Relations Board, despite lower court rulings that had attempted to block these firings.

Judge Justin Walker, writing for the majority, based the decision on constitutional principles.

“Article II of the Constitution vests the ‘executive Power’ in ‘a President of the United States’ and requires him to ‘take Care that the Laws be faithfully executed,'” the judge wrote. “To protect individual liberty, the Framers created a President independent from the Legislative Branch.'”

The decision overturned orders from two district judges who had ruled that Trump lacked the authority to remove these Biden appointees. Judge Karen LeCraft Henderson, appointed by President George H.W. Bush, joined Walker in the majority opinion.

The ruling represents a significant affirmation of presidential authority to control the executive branch and ensure that appointed officials faithfully implement the administration’s policies. Imagine that – a president actually being allowed to run the executive branch!

Democrats’ Selective Outrage

Interestingly, Democrats who are now protesting Trump’s actions had no problem when President Joe Biden fired officials upon taking office in 2021.

Biden removed National Labor Relations Board General Counsel Peter Robb within hours of being sworn in, despite Robb’s term not having expired. When Robb called the move “unprecedented,” Democrats defended Biden’s right to install officials who would implement his agenda.

Now that Trump is exercising the same authority, they’ve suddenly discovered concerns about “independent” agencies. The hypocrisy is breathtaking, isn’t it?

The lone dissenter in the current ruling was Judge Patricia Millett, a Barack Obama appointee. She claimed that her colleagues were attempting to “rewrite” Supreme Court precedent. This partisan split highlights the political nature of the dispute. Are we really surprised?

Why This Matters for America

This ruling has implications far beyond the careers of a few bureaucrats. It strikes at the heart of democratic accountability in our system of government.

When we vote for a president, we’re voting for that president’s policy agenda. For that agenda to be implemented, the president must have the authority to ensure that executive branch officials are carrying out his directives, not undermining them.

The “independent” agencies at issue wield enormous power over American life. The National Labor Relations Board makes decisions affecting businesses and workers nationwide. The Merit Systems Protection Board oversees federal employment practices. When these agencies operate contrary to a president’s agenda, they effectively nullify the results of elections.

The Trump administration successfully argued that blocking the president from removing officials would harm the separation of powers and undermine constitutional authority. This restoration of presidential control helps ensure that agencies remain accountable to the American people through their elected leadership. And isn’t that what our Founders intended?

As President Trump continues his efforts to reform the federal bureaucracy, this ruling provides crucial legal backing for ensuring that government agencies serve the American people, not themselves. The deep state’s grip is loosening – and that’s something every liberty-loving American should celebrate.

Key Takeaways:

  • New court ruling reaffirms that executive power belongs to the president, not unaccountable bureaucrats.
  • When Americans elect a president, they deserve to have that president’s policies implemented without sabotage from holdover officials.
  • The same Democrats who defended Biden’s firings now object when Trump exercises identical authority.
  • Government agencies must answer to democratically elected leadership, not operate as a fourth branch beyond the reach of voters.

Source: The Daily Caller

March 31, 2025
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James Conrad
James is an Ivy League graduate who has been passionate about politics for many years. He also loves movies, running, tennis...and freedom!
James is an Ivy League graduate who has been passionate about politics for many years. He also loves movies, running, tennis...and freedom!