Supreme Court decisions live: Trump reacts after Lisa Cook ruling
WASHINGTON – Major decisions came down Monday as the Supreme Court nears the end of its current term, impacting the president's power to fire major figures within the executive branch and states' abilities to decide how the upcoming midterm elections will be run.
In two decisions, the court blocked President Donald Trump from immediately firing Federal Reserve Board Governor Lisa Cook, but backed his authority to fire a Democratic appointee to the Federal Trade Commission.
In a third decision, the court upheld a state law allowing mail-in ballots postmarked by Election Day to be received and still counted up to five business days later, a defeat for Trump's efforts to curtail voting by mail.
The high court is expected to hand down its final decisions for the current term on Tuesday. That includes ruling on whether states can prohibit transgender athletes from playing on female sports teams, and whether Trump's order redefining who is a U.S. citizen from birth is constitutional.
Follow here for the latest updates.
Former FEC chief: Court's FTC decision an 'attack' on congressional authority
Bart Jansen
Trevor Potter, a former head of the Federal Election Commission who is now president of the advocacy group Campaign Legal Center, said Congress created independent agencies to avoid influence from political interests such as the president.
Even though the president nominates agency leaders, those commissioners are confirmed by the Senate and must not be unfairly punished for exercising independent judgment, Potter said.
“Today’s Supreme Court decision is a direct attack on the constitutional authority of Congress to establish such independent agencies and thus on our system of checks and balances,” Potter said.
Dem senator: FTC ruling is 'an affront to good governance'
Bart Jansen
Sen. Dick Durbin of Illinois, the top Democrat on the Judiciary Committee, said the court’s decision to allow Trump to fire Rebecca Slaughter from the Federal Trade Commission would “greenlight” his “threats to independent federal agencies.”
“Now, this President can fire whomever he perceives as his enemy at these agencies without so much as citing cause,” Durbin said. “This ruling is an affront to good governance and the point of ‘independent’ federal agencies in the first place.”
Trump decries court refusing to hear appeal of $5M E. Jean Carroll judgment
Bart Jansen
Trump continued to deny knowing E. Jean Carroll, a columnist who won a $5 million defamation judgment against him, after the Supreme Court declined to hear his appeal.
Trump argued that New York state created a “tailormade” law to “nab” him by allowing Carroll to pursue her civil lawsuit against him.
“I will continue the fight against this Weaponization and Lawfare Case against me, including the ridiculous claim of Defamation, with all of my power and strength,” Trump said on social media.
'BIG WIN': Trump lauds court's approval in firing of FTC leader
Bart Jansen
Trump called the court’s decision making it easier for him to fire leaders of independent agencies a “BIG WIN” that overturned a 90-year court precedent.
Trump sought to remove Rebecca Slaughter from the Federal Trade Commission, which enforces a variety of antitrust and consumer protection laws.
Chief Justice John Roberts delivered the majority opinion, writing that a president "must have the assistance of officers he can trust." The court’s decision could redefine how more than a dozen agencies operate.
“It is such an Honor to be the sitting President who won this Historic and Unprecedented Ruling, one of the most important ever given with respect to Presidential Powers,” Trump said on social media.
Trump lobbies again for legislation tightening voter ID, mail ballot rules
Bart Jansen
Trump lobbied Congress again to approve election legislation after the Supreme Court approved state grace periods for mail-in ballots to be counted if they are postmarked by Election Day.
Trump has long sought to curtail mail-in voting. But the high court approved Mississippi’s five-day grace period for ballots to arrive after Election Day.
Trump pressed Congress again to require voters to provide identification at polling places, to show proof of citizenship to register and to prohibit mail-in ballots except for voters who are ill, traveling or serving in the military.
“There is no excuse for a politician, or otherwise, to be against the above three requirements,” Trump said on social media. “There is only one reason to oppose – CHEATING!”
A 2025 report from the Brookings Institution found fraud cases related to voting by mail are extremely rare: about four cases for every 10 million mail-in votes. Studies have also shown that voting by noncitizens is virtually nonexistent.
Trump calls Cook decision 'procedural' and vows to take more action
Bart Jansen
Trump said the Supreme Court’s decision about whether he could remove Lisa Cook from the Federal Reserve Bank was based “on a strictly procedural basis” and vowed to take more action against her.
Trump had tried to remove Cook based on declarations on mortgage documents she filled out before she got her seat on the Fed's board of governors. But she is fighting the dismissal and has argued she was never given a chance to formally respond to his accusations.
Trump said on social media that “we will take appropriate action immediately to make sure that someone who has committed wrongdoing will not be making vital decisions concerning the Welfare of the United States of America!”
Cook’s lawyer, Abbe Lowell, said Trump was trying to bend monetary decisions to his political will.
“Making unproven allegations of mortgage fraud to justify a power grab has become a pattern of the Trump Administration, but today the Supreme Court said no and agreed with the lower court that Governor Cook can continue serving on the Board and the President has a substantial burden to carry out his plan to remove her,” Lowell said.
Final decisions, including birthright citizenship, coming Tuesday
Bart Jansen
The court will hand down its final decisions of the term on Tuesday, June 30, Chief Justice John Roberts announced.
The remaining cases include one of Trump’s top priorities, dealing with his proposed restrictions on birthright citizenship.
Another pair of cases deal with whether West Virginia and Idaho can ban transgender athletes from participating on female sports teams.
The court will also decide whether to ditch one of the last checks on money in politics. Republicans have challenged 50-year-old limits capping how much parties can spend on campaigns coordinated with candidates.
Cook: Court assures Fed independence from political interference
Bart Jansen
Lisa Cook said the ruling keeping her on the Federal Reserve's board of governors affirmed the principle that the central bank must be independent from political interference and guided by evidence when making its policy decisions.
"This was never about mortgage documents signed years before I became a Federal Reserve governor,” Cook said. “It was an attempt to remove me on a manufactured pretext because I refused to bow to political pressure and continued to set interest rates based only on what would best serve the American people.”
Court backs president's power to fire independent agency leader
Aysha Bagchi
In a case that broke down along ideological lines, the Supreme Court ruled 6-3 that the president may fire an appointee to the Federal Trade Commission, in a boost to Trump's authority.
Trump argued that protections Congress created in statute for the Federal Trade Commission were unconstitutional because they encroached on his authority as the head of the executive branch. Rebecca Slaughter, who served on the commission as a Democratic appointee, argued that Supreme Court precedents dating back to a 1935 decision in Humphrey's Executor v. United States have established Congress has the power to protect members of independent agencies from being fired by the president.
Mail-in ballot grace period 'a win for democracy,' advocates say
Bart Jansen
NAACP President Derrick Johnson called the court’s ruling allowing ballots postmarked by Election Day to arrive days later “a win for our democracy.”
Kase Solomon, CEO of Common Cause, said Congress needs to approve nationwide protections for voters. “Vote by mail is such a useful voting tool, even the president uses it," Solomon said.
Trump has tried to curtail mail-in voting by arguing the ballots easily corruptible, despite casting a ballot by mail himself in March. But the court ruled that grace periods for ballots to arrive days later are lawful.
“All voters, no matter how they cast their ballot, deserve the freedom to make their voices heard," said Danielle Lang, a vice president at the Campaign Legal Center. "This is a cornerstone of American democracy."
Trump blocked from firing Federal Reserve's Lisa Cook
Aysha Bagchi
The Supreme Court ruled 5-4 to block Trump from firing Lisa Cook, a governor on the board of the Federal Reserve, while a legal battle over his attempt to remove her proceeds at a lower court.
The Federal Reserve is a powerful economic institution responsible for monetary policies that can influence inflation rates and unemployment.
Trump argued that he could remove Cook immediately based on his allegations that she made misrepresentations affecting mortgage rates on two properties she purchased. Cook said she is looking forward to "debunking" Trump's allegations, and argued that that her firing was unlawful because the Federal Reserve board is historically independent and its governors have statutory protections.
Court rules 'geofence warrant' must comply with Fourth Amendment protections
Aysha Bagchi
The Supreme Court ruled that a "geofence warrant" – a warrant seeking location data for cellphone users near a specific place over a specific time period – involved a search subject to the Fourth Amendment, which protects against unreasonable searches and seizures.
The case concerned a Virginia man challenging law enforcement's use of a geofence warrant to get location data on him from Google, which led to evidence that was used to convict him of a bank robbery.
The Supreme Court didn't rule on whether the geofence warrant was used against the man in a way that actually violated the Fourth Amendment. Instead, writing for the majority, Justice Elena Kagan said concluding that a Fourth Amendment search occurred doesn't resolve whether the warrant was lawful, because the Fourth Amendment only prohibits unreasonable searches. She wrote that the case should be sent back down to an appeals court to make that assessment.
Court upholds Mississippi law on mail-in ballots deadline
Aysha Bagchi
In a 5-4 decision, the Supreme Court upheld a Mississippi state law allowing mail-in ballots postmarked by Election Day to be received and still counted up to five business days later.
The case is set to impact upcoming elections across the country. Many other states have similarly allowed ballots to be sent in by Election Day, then received and counted for some period after.
Supreme Court to decide case involving runaway transgender children
Bart Jansen
The Supreme Court will decide whether a group of parents can challenge Washington state laws protecting transgender runaway children.
The parents, along with two national organizations, say the laws allow minors to seek medical care without their parents’ consent or knowledge.
Lower courts dismissed the challenge, ruling the parents hadn’t shown they have been harmed by the laws or are likely to be. The high court will review that decision.
Court declines to revisit landmark press freedom precedent
Bart Jansen
Alan Dershowitz, a professor emeritus at Harvard Law School who alleges he was defamed by CNN, won't get a chance to overturn a landmark press freedom decision from 1964.
The Supreme Court declined to revisit a landmark decision about press freedom that limited when a public figure can sue for libel or defamation, in a case called New York Times v. Sullivan.
Dershowitz argues that standard “has devolved into near-absolute immunity for media defendants, even when they profoundly misrepresent verifiable public statements.” He had asked the court to review his defamation allegations from when he defended President Trump from impeachment, but the court declined to hear his appeal.
Court to review Arizona election law
Bart Jansen
The Supreme Court will review state voter registration laws in Arizona that lower courts said conflict with federal rules and suppress the vote.
The dispute is about provisions in state laws enacted in 2022 that aim to prevent noncitizens from voting.
Lower courts have ruled against Arizona’s method of purging voter rolls within 90 days of an election. They’ve also said the state can’t require documentary proof of citizenship to vote in federal elections for residents using a state registration form instead of a federal form.
Republicans are contesting those rulings.
Court won't review E. Jean Carroll's $5M judgment against Trump
Bart Jansen
The Supreme Court won’t step in and stop President Donald Trump from having to pay $5 million to writer E. Jean Carroll for sexually abusing and defaming her.
Trump had argued that a president shouldn’t be burdened with defending himself against decades-old charges.
The court on June 29 declined to review the 2023 jury verdict against Trump in a civil suit brought by Carroll.
A clue to the number of opinions coming
Maureen Groppe
A few minutes before the justices take the bench, reporters waiting in the press room for copies of the decisions get an indication of how many to expect.
The clue is in the number of file boxes the court staff bring out. One box generally holds up to two opinions. But which ones they are is anybody’s guess.
No, you can't listen remotely to decision announcements
Maureen Groppe
Don’t try tuning in to hear the justices announce today’s decisions.
Although the court livestreams the audio of oral arguments, that’s not the case for the summaries the justices give of their opinions.
The Senate Judiciary Committee this month advanced a bill that would require all open sessions of the court to be televised, unless a majority of the justices agree doing so would violate the due process rights of one the parties arguing before the court.
“It’s time to put cameras in the Supreme Court so more Americans can finally see arguments and decisions in cases that will affect them for generations to come,” Illinois Sen. Dick Durbin, the committee’s top Democrat, said in a statement.
But don’t get too excited just yet. Similar bills approved by the panel in previous years were never voted on by the full Senate.
Expect decisions from these justices
Maureen Groppe
All eyes today will be on Chief Justice John Roberts and Justice Brett Kavanaugh.
The two conservative justices have issued the fewest decisions so far this term, so they’re expected to write most of the remaining ones.
In addition, Roberts often authors the opinions in the biggest cases – and there are some big ones left.
Expect more than just decisions from the court today
Maureen Groppe
It’s a busy day for Supreme Court news.
Half an hour before decisions are announced at 10 a.m., the court will release a list of appeals that the justices have either granted or – most commonly – rejected.
That list could include a decision on whether the justices will review a $5 million jury award that President Donald Trump was ordered to pay in 2023 after being found liable for sexually abusing and defaming writer E. Jean Carroll.
And at noon, the justices’ annual financial disclosure reports will be released.
Birthright citizenship case is one of Trump's top priorities
Bart Jansen
Trump signed an executive order on the first day of his second term that sought to restrict birthright citizenship to the children of citizens or legal permanent residents.
He became the first sitting president to attend a Supreme Court argument when the justices heard the birthright case April 1.
The high court could decide as early as June 29 whether nearly all babies born in the country are citizens, as the Constitution’s 14th Amendment has been interpreted for more than 125 years.
Court could redefine presidential power to remove agency board members
Bart Jansen
Trump contends that as the head of the executive branch of government, he has the power to hire and fire members of so-called independent boards for any reason.
But a unanimous 1935 Supreme Court precedent found the president could only remove members of independent boards such as the Federal Trade Commission "for cause" because Congress created the agencies with a mix of executive and legislative powers.
In a pair of cases, the justices are expected to decide whether the president has the authority to fire Rebecca Slaughter from the Federal Trade Commission and Lisa Cook from the Federal Reserve Bank.
The email notifying Slaughter of her removal listed no reason. Trump cited false statements on Cook's mortgage applications as "cause" for her removal, but Cook argued she wasn't given a formal chance to respond.
Court could decide rules for mail-in ballots and campaign funding
Bart Jansen
Two pending election-law cases – which also deal with Trump priorities – could change the rules for how elections are run.
Trump has argued for an end to the grace periods that many states allow for mail-in ballots postmarked by Election Day. The high court is expected to decide whether Mississippi can count ballots that are received up to five days late, with possible ramifications for dozens more states.
The other election ruling is expected to determine whether to keep a 50-year-old cap on a party’s campaign funding in coordination with a candidate. The court upheld the cap in 2001, but Republicans including Vice President JD Vance contend the Watergate-era limit is no longer needed to discourage corruption.