Trump Wipes Out Election Assistance Commission in Power Grab After Supreme Court Ruling
President Trump executed a ruthless purge of the Election Assistance Commission, terminating all remaining members after a Supreme Court ruling that bolstered his power to fire officials from independent agencies.
Thomas Hicks and Christy McCormick, both appointed by former President Barack Obama, received their termination notices via email. Benjamin Hovland, a Trump appointee from his first term, was also forced out. A fourth commissioner, another Trump appointee, had already left the agency in April.
The Election Assistance Commission now stands completely devoid of commissioners, leaving its future in limbo. It remains uncertain whether Trump will appoint new members to fill the void.
Emails dispatched by the White House Presidential Personnel Office stated, “On behalf of President Donald J. Trump, I am writing to inform you that your position as Commissioner of the Election Assistance Commission is terminated, effective immediately. Thank you for your service.”
This mass firing follows a pivotal Supreme Court decision on June 29 that overturned previous limitations on presidential authority to remove officials from independent government agencies without cause.
In a decisive 6-3 ruling, the court affirmed that Trump acted within his rights when he dismissed former Federal Trade Commissioner Rebecca Slaughter last year. Chief Justice John Roberts emphasized that “neither Congress nor the courts may saddle [the president] with those with whom he cannot work,” asserting that “subordinates who exercise the President’s power are subject to removal by him.”
Trump hailed the ruling as “the Greatest Increase in Presidential Power in the last 100 years,” proclaiming it a “Monumental Ruling at such an important time!”
The EAC functions as a “national clearinghouse of information on election administration,” responsible for accrediting testing laboratories, certifying voting systems, and maintaining the national mail voter registration form established by the National Voter Registration Act of 1993.
Senator Mark Warner (D-Va.) expressed alarm over Trump’s actions, stating that the removal of the EAC members should “concern” all Americans.
Warner remarked on social media that “Reports that the White House has dismissed the remaining members of the Election Assistance Commission — all of whom were unanimously confirmed by the Senate, including a commissioner appointed by President Trump himself — should concern every American, regardless of party.”
He further stated, “If these reports are accurate, removing every remaining commissioner just months before the 2026 midterm elections is an extraordinary step that demands an immediate explanation from the administration and raises profound concerns about political interference in the institutions that support our elections.”
A White House official confirmed the terminations, asserting that Trump “reserves the right to remove individuals that may not be totally aligned with the important task of securing America’s elections and ensuring every legal vote is counted.”
The official added that the Trump administration has been “working across all agencies and local partners to safeguard elections from fraud and abuse, and investing in a strong infrastructure to sustain that mission especially in the midterm elections.”
