Supreme Court Skeptical of Trump’s Push to Fire Fed Governor Lisa Cook

It’s not every day the Supreme Court gets drawn into the mechanics of monetary policy, but that’s exactly what happened this week and it could have far-reaching consequences. President Trump’s effort to remove Lisa Cook from the Federal Reserve Board has ignited a legal and political firestorm, with both conservative and liberal justices expressing skepticism about the move.

Lisa Cook, appointed by President Biden in 2022 as the first Black woman to serve on the Federal Reserve Board, is under scrutiny over mortgage fraud allegations specifically, a claim that she misrepresented her principal residence. Cook denies the charge, calling it a thinly veiled attempt to oust her for resisting Trump’s push to cut interest rates.

But the heart of this case isn’t just about Cook. It’s about whether a sitting president has the authority to remove a central bank official and what that means for an institution that’s wielded massive influence over the U.S. economy with virtually no accountability.

Here’s what you need to know:

• No Fed governor has ever been fired by a president. This is uncharted territory, and the justices are well aware of the potential consequences. As Justice Amy Coney Barrett put it, firing Cook could “trigger a recession,” according to warnings from top economists.

• Trump’s legal team argues he has the right to remove Cook “for cause,” citing what they describe as “gross negligence” in her personal financial dealings. Yet no formal hearing was held, no process followed just a termination letter posted to social media.

• The Federal Reserve’s independence is on the line. Several justices warned that allowing Trump’s move could destroy the very safeguards Congress put in place to keep the Fed free from political meddling. Justice Brett Kavanaugh summed it up plainly: a president shouldn’t have the power to fire a Fed official at will with no oversight or judicial review.

This isn’t Trump’s first attempt to push back against bloated, unaccountable federal agencies. Since returning to office, he’s taken bold action to rein in the bureaucracy from the Department of Education to foreign aid to labor boards. But the Fed is a different animal: it controls interest rates, inflation policy, and much more, without ever facing voters or serious scrutiny.

Let’s not forget: inflation hit a 40-year high under Biden’s watch, with rates surging past 9% in 2022. Families are still feeling the squeeze. Meanwhile, Lisa Cook and her Fed colleagues have been slow to act, obsessed more with diversity quotas and climate rhetoric than stabilizing the economy. Cook’s tenure which extends all the way to 2038 is just one example of how the Left seeks to embed its ideology deep into every institution.

Trump’s attempt to remove her is a direct challenge to that entrenchment. He’s not trying to politicize the Fed it’s already politicized. He’s trying to restore accountability.

The Supreme Court may ultimately side with caution, refusing to open the door to immediate firings of Fed governors. But the bigger picture remains: why are unelected bureaucrats, appointed for decades-long terms, immune to the same standards of conduct and accountability the rest of government faces?

Cook’s defenders say this is about protecting the Fed from politics. But when the central bank acts like a political player, choosing winners and losers in the economy, it’s already part of the game. If the American people are going to continue suffering under disastrous economic policy, they at least deserve transparency and consequences for those making the decisions.

A ruling is expected by June. One thing is certain: this case has exposed just how far the Democratic establishment will go to preserve its control over the levers of power, even if it means shielding questionable conduct and stifling any effort to clean house.

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