One big win and three defeats for Trump in dramatic day at Supreme Court

The US Supreme Court issued multiple decisions on Monday that directly affect former President Donald Trump, giving him one victory and three defeats.

Trump's major win came when the court overturned a nearly 100-year-old precedent that had restricted a president's power to remove commissioners from independent regulatory agencies. Chief Justice John Roberts wrote for the conservative majority that "subordinates who exercise the president's power are subject to removal by him" to ensure accountability. The six conservative justices, three appointed by Trump, supported the ruling; the three liberal justices dissented. This decision grants Trump and future presidents broad authority to replace regulators in agencies like the Federal Trade Commission.

However, the same day brought three setbacks for Trump. The court rejected his appeal in the defamation case brought by writer E. Jean Carroll. In 2023, a jury had awarded Carroll $5 million after finding Trump defamed her over her accusation of sexual assault. The Supreme Court declined to review the case, effectively ending Trump's attempt to block that judgment. Trump vowed to continue fighting, but this is likely the final word.

Additionally, the court allowed the counting of late-arriving mail-in ballots, a defeat for Trump's efforts to restrict such votes, and blocked his attempt to fire Federal Reserve Governor Lisa Cook.

These rulings highlight a mixed day for Trump: while the court expanded presidential power, it also denied him personal legal victories. Trump celebrated the precedent overruled as "greatly increasing presidential power" but also criticized the "weaponization" of the justice system against him.