A 1935 Supreme Court case known as Humphrey's Executor v. United States tightly limited a president's ability to remove officials from independent agencies.

President Donald Trump appears set to challenge that ruling as this week saw him boot out two members of the Federal Trade Commission (FTC).

Former FTC commissioner says her firing was "corruption plain and simple"

According to Breitbart, Trump moved on Tuesday to dismiss Democratic FTC Commissioners Alvaro Bedoya and Rebecca Kelly Slaughter.

Bedoya quickly decried her removal in a statement posted to social media, writing, "The president just illegally fired me. This is corruption plain and simple."

I am a commissioner at the Federal Trade Commission. The president just illegally fired me. This is corruption plain and simple. My full statement: pic.twitter.com/12HPZsbLTP

— Alvaro Bedoya (@BedoyaFTC) March 18, 2025

The freshly fired commissioner went on to allege that the president is seeking to transform the FTC into "a lapdog for his golfing buddies."

Fired commissioners warn that Trump may target the Federal Reserve next

Meanwhile Slaughter appeared on CNBC and asserted that her and Bedoya's dismissal could be a prelude to Trump taking control of the Federal Reserve.

Bedoya reiterated that point in another social media post, writing, "Commissioner Slaughter says what people haven’t realized yet."

"If she and I can be fired for no reason, the head of the Federal Reserve can be fired for no reason. You can like that or not like that, but this is where we’re headed if the president succeeds in firing us," Bedoya went on to add.

Breitbart noted how the firing of Bedoya and Slaughter means that FTC Chair Andrew Ferguson and Commissioner Melissa Holyoak are the body's only current members as Trump nominee Mark Meador has yet to face a Senate confirmation vote.

FTC chair insists that Trump acted lawfully

Ferguson argued in a statement of his own that Bedoya and Slaughter's removal was lawful, declaring, "President Donald J. Trump is the head of the executive branch and is vested with all of the executive power in our government."

"I have no doubts about his constitutional authority to remove Commissioners, which is necessary to ensure democratic accountability for our government," Ferguson maintained.

"The Federal Trade Commission will continue its tireless work to protect consumers, lower prices, and police anticompetitive behavior," he pledged.

Ferguson concluded by saying, "I wish Commissioners Slaughter and Bedoya well, and I thank them for their service."