President Trump, Supreme Court Justice Lisa Cook vow action after mail-in voting defeat
President Donald Trump has vowed to take action following the Supreme Court loss involving Lisa Cook, mail-in voting, and a $5 million defamation judgment.
The Supreme Court on June 29 dealt a major blow to President Donald Trump’s agenda in terms of economic regulation and targeting mail-in voting, but also issued a historic ruling that expands the president’s control over federal agencies.
In a divided ruling, the justices blocked President Trump from immediately firing Gov. Lisa Cook, the head of the Federal Reserve, and upheld a Mississippi law that allows mail-in ballots postmarked by Election Day to be received and counted at a later date.
The court also rejected Mr. Trump’s appeal of a $5 million judgment awarded to New York author E. Gene Carroll after a jury concluded that he sexually abused and defamed her, an allegation he denies.
But the court also upheld President Trump’s firing of Democratic appointee Rebecca Slaughter to the Federal Trade Commission, in a 6-3 decision overturning 90 years of precedent that limited presidential firing powers.
President Trump said on social media after the decision that the justices had inflicted a “huge loss” on his voting agenda, but that their decision to overturn decades of precedent “significantly” increased presidential power “at a time when it is most needed.”
Here’s a breakdown of what the latest decision means for President Trump and his policies.
Limits on a 90-year-old president’s ability to remove him from office will be lifted.
President Trump called the court’s decision to fire Rebecca Slaughter of the Federal Trade Commission a “huge victory” for presidential power.
The court overturned 90 years of precedent in a case called Humphrey’s Executors v. United States, which limited how presidents can remove independent board members.
Congress established various boards with representatives from both parties. But Trump insisted he should have control over all executive branch positions and be free to fire and replace members.
Roberts, writing for the majority in a decision that could affect more than a dozen government agencies, said the president “must have the support of trusted officials.”
“It is a great honor to be the sitting president who won this historic and unprecedented ruling, one of the most important presidential powers ever granted,” Trump wrote on social media.
Court upholds Federal Reserve independence
President Trump, by contrast, downplayed the Supreme Court’s decision blocking Cook’s immediate removal from office, posting on social media that the court had sent the case back to the lower courts “based on rigorous procedures.”
But Chief Justice John Roberts wrote to the court’s majority that the Trump administration “has not shown that it is likely to prevail” in lower courts defending the circumstances surrounding Cook’s firing. Roberts also emphasized that Congress has established protections for the Fed president and that the United States has a tradition of protecting the central bank from political influence.
The Federal Reserve is a powerful economic regulator and is responsible for monetary policy, which can affect inflation and unemployment rates. Its board is made up of governors appointed by the president and confirmed by the U.S. Senate for varying terms of 14 years.
President Trump’s support for firing Cook, who was nominated by President Joe Biden and confirmed in 2022, would have made the Fed even more vulnerable regardless of who is currently in the Oval Office.
Trump claimed he could immediately fire Cook over allegations that he made false statements that affected mortgage rates on two properties he purchased. Cook said he looked forward to “debunking” Trump’s claims and argued that his firing was illegal because the Fed’s board has historically been independent and its directors have legal protections.
States can receive and count mail-in ballots after Election Day
In a significant loss for Trump, the court upheld a Mississippi law that allows mail-in ballots that are postmarked by Election Day and arrive up to five days later to be counted.
Justice Amy Coney Barrett and Chief Justice John Roberts joined the court’s three liberal justices in supporting the law. Barrett wrote that voters have to make a decision by a certain date, but that doesn’t mean they have to receive their ballots that day.
President Trump has long opposed mail-in voting, arguing that it is susceptible to corruption, but in March he voted by mail himself. He cited the court’s decision as he continued to press Congress to require voters to present identification and proof of citizenship at polling places and to register, and to ban mail-in voting except for voters who are sick, traveling or serving in the military.
“There is no excuse for anyone, politician or not, to violate the three requirements listed above,” Trump said on social media. “The only reason I object is cheating!”
According to a 2025 report from the Brookings Institution, incidents of fraud related to mail-in voting are extremely rare, at about 4 cases per 10 million mail-in votes. Research also shows that non-citizen voting is virtually non-existent.
Court dismisses Trump sexual abuse claims, $83 million lawsuit still pending
In a personal blow to Trump, the Supreme Court has decided not to hear his appeal of his 2023 loss in a sexual abuse and defamation case. This leaves intact a $5 million 2023 award from a New York federal jury to former advice columnist E. Jean Carroll, which concluded that Trump sexually abused her during an incident at a department store in the 1990s and then defamed her when he denied it in 2022.
“This victory belongs to all women around the world!!” Carol posted on social media within hours of the decision.
The decision does not affect Trump’s separate appeal, which calls for a separate New York federal jury to award Carroll $83.3 million in damages in 2024, based on a finding that Trump defamed her when he denied her claims in 2019. This appeal is still pending.
President Trump posted on social media that Carroll’s lawsuit, filed in his personal capacity, “is against the very United States of America.”
“I intend to continue to fight with all my might against this weapon and legal action against me, including the ridiculous claims of defamation,” he said.
What’s at stake for President Trump in his future decisions?
President Trump is interested in all three remaining cases the court is scheduled to rule on June 30, but he is more interested in the limits in his proposal for birthright citizenship.
On the first day of his second term, President Trump signed an executive order limiting citizenship to children born to citizens or lawful permanent residents. For more than 125 years, the high court has interpreted the Fourteenth Amendment, which grants citizenship to “all persons born or naturalized in the United States,” to apply to all infants born in the United States.
When the justices heard the birthright case on April 1, Trump became the first sitting president to attend Supreme Court arguments.
Another pending decision deals with whether West Virginia and Idaho can ban transgender athletes from participating in women’s sports teams. Trump has been a vocal opponent of transgender athletes.
The court will also decide whether to waive one of the last checks on money in politics. President Trump’s fellow Republicans, including Vice President J.D. Vance, are challenging the 50-year-old limit on how much political parties can spend on campaigns aligned with their candidates.
