Beyond 'draining the swamp': How Trump is knocking down checks on presidential power

"President Trump was attempting to remove Harris from her seat on the Merit Systems Protection Board, an independent, quasi-judicial agency that hears federal employees' appeals of personnel actions taken by the government. The email came despite the fact that Harris' term was not set to expire until 2028, and despite a federal law that dictates board members can only be fired for cause, such as inefficiency, malfeasance or neglect of duty."

"She sued the Trump administration and was briefly reinstated twice. But the Trump administration appealed, and in late May, the Supreme Court handed the administration a win, issuing an emergency order allowing her firing to stand while litigation continues. Eight months into his second term, it's clear that Trump is not just draining the swamp, firing bureaucrats he sees as problematic. He's upending entire systems and knocking down checks on presidential power."

Cathy Harris received an email informing her she was effectively fired from the Merit Systems Protection Board despite a term through 2028 and a statute limiting removals to cause. She sued, was briefly reinstated twice, but the administration successfully obtained a Supreme Court emergency order allowing the firing to stand during ongoing litigation. The action is part of a broader pattern in which President Trump has pursued removal of federal officials and mounted aggressive legal strategies, generating more than 300 lawsuits that may reach the Supreme Court. A favorable ruling for the administration could substantially alter removal protections and weaken independent oversight across government.

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