# US Supreme Court blocks Trump's firing of Fed Governor Lisa Cook, carving the central bank out of its independent-agency ruling > Hours after overturning Humphrey's Executor for the FTC, a 5-4 majority led by Chief Justice Roberts held that the US Federal Reserve's unique 'tradition of independence' shields its governors from at-will removal by the US president, leaving Cook in post while her lawsuit continues **Meta:** type: event · date: 2026-06-29 · heads: Who Decides, The Quiet Shift · 13 takes · 4 lenses · 2 regions ## Summary The US Supreme Court ruled 5-4 in Trump v. Cook on June 29 to block [Trump's](/en/entity/person/donald-trump) firing of [Federal Reserve](/en/entity/org/federal-reserve) Governor Lisa Cook, the first Black woman appointed to the Fed board. Chief Justice Roberts, joined by Justice Kavanaugh and the three liberal justices, held that the Fed's singular "tradition of central banking protected from political interference" places it outside the at-will removal authority the court granted the US president over other independent agencies in the companion Slaughter ruling issued the same morning. Cook will remain in her post while her lawsuit challenging the August 2025 firing, over mortgage-fraud allegations she denies, proceeds in the lower courts. The decision leaves open the possibility of dismissing her later if the administration presents adequate cause. ## Why it matters The ruling draws a constitutional line around the Federal Reserve that global markets, central-bank peers and trading partners can price as durable, at least for now. Combined with the Slaughter ruling expanding presidential power over all other independent agencies, the day's SCOTUS decisions redraw the map of US regulatory independence in a way that will shape Fed credibility for years. ## Regional takes (batched by bias / lens) ### unlabelled - **US Supreme Court, Trump v. Cook, No. 25A312 (opinion PDF)** (United States, en) — Roberts majority opinion (5-4: Roberts, Kavanaugh, Kagan, Sotomayor, Jackson) rejecting Trump's emergency stay application in the Cook firing. Roberts wrote that 'not only the fact of independence but also the appearance of independence is key to the Federal Reserve's design,' and that Cook was not given adequate process. The ruling does not decide the underlying merits of whether a Fed governor can ever be fired for cause. Source: https://www.supremecourt.gov/opinions/25pdf/25a312_5468.pdf - **The Hill** (United States, en) — Source: https://thehill.com/regulation/court-battles/5935213-supreme-court-federal-reserve-lisa-cook-trump/ - **CNN** (United States, en) — Source: https://www.cnn.com/2026/06/29/politics/live-news/supreme-court-issues-opinions - **Fox Business** (United States, en) — Source: https://www.foxbusiness.com/politics/supreme-court-rules-trumps-attempt-fire-fed-governor-lisa-cook - **U.S. News & World Report** (United States, en) — Source: https://www.usnews.com/news/top-news/articles/2026-06-29/us-supreme-court-rejects-trumps-unprecedented-bid-to-fire-feds-cook - **Democracy Defenders Fund (statement)** (United States, en) — Source: https://www.democracydefendersfund.org/prs/06.29.26-pr - **CNBC** (United States, en) — Source: https://www.cnbc.com/2026/06/29/supreme-court-lisa-cook-trump-federal-reserve.html - **Bloomberg** (United States, en) — Source: https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2026-06-29/supreme-court-lets-fed-s-lisa-cook-stay-in-job-for-now - **NPR** (United States, en) — Source: https://www.npr.org/2026/06/29/nx-s1-5557955/supreme-court-fed-lisa-cook - **CBC News** (Canada, en) — Source: https://www.cbc.ca/news/world/us-scotus-rulings-cook-fed-slaughter-ftc-9.7252310 ### US liberal broadsheet; executive-power scorecard framing - **The Washington Post** (United States, en) — The Washington Post led with the political scorecard: Trump lost on Cook but won the sweeping Slaughter precedent, eroding independent-agency protection broadly while preserving the one institution markets care about most. It noted the Cook majority's unusual coalition of the three liberal justices plus Kavanaugh joining Roberts. > "Supreme Court blocks Trump from firing Fed board appointee, for now." Source: https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2026/06/29/supreme-court-now-blocks-trump-firing-federal-reserve-board-appointee/ ### US civil-rights litigator; racial dimension of the Cook firing - **NAACP Legal Defense Fund (statement)** (United States, en) — The NAACP Legal Defense Fund framed the Cook stay as a win for Fed independence and noted Cook is the only Black woman ever to serve on the Federal Reserve Board of Governors. It called Trump's firing racially and politically motivated and urged Congress to legislate stronger protections for Fed governors. > "Supreme Court allows Lisa Cook to continue serving on the Federal Reserve Board." Source: https://www.naacpldf.org/press-release/supreme-court-allows-lisa-cook-to-continue-serving-on-federal-reserve-board/ ### first complete breakdown of the 5-4 majority, naming Roberts and Kavanaugh joining the liberals and distinguishing Cook's case from Slaughter's - **NBC News** (United States, en) — NBC reported that the Supreme Court's 5-4 majority, in Trump v. Cook, blocked Trump from removing Federal Reserve Governor Lisa Cook, with Roberts writing that the Fed's unique structure and 'tradition of central banking protected from political interference' placed it outside the at-will removal regime just applied to the FTC. Cook, the first Black woman on the Fed board, had been fired in August 2025 over mortgage-fraud allegations she denies. > "The Supreme Court said Trump cannot fire Federal Reserve Governor Lisa Cook, distinguishing the central bank from other independent agencies." Source: https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/supreme-court/supreme-court-rules-trump-cannot-fire-fed-member-lisa-cook-grants-powe-rcna234931 ## Across the graph - Related: [[scotus-trump-slaughter-ftc-jun29]], [[scotus-watson-rnc-mail-ballot-jun29]], [[trump-scotus-birthright-fed-rulings]], [[warsh-fed-june2026]] - Entities: Org:federal Reserve, Person:donald Trump, Courts vs Elected Power --- Canonical: https://rbtfl.xyz/en/n/scotus-trump-cook-fed-jun29