President Donald Trump asked the U.S. Supreme Court to lift a temporary restraining order preventing him from firing Hampton Dellinger as part of his broader effort to remove independent federal officials. Trump's filing seeks to lift a restraining order preventing Hampton Dellinger’s removal as head of the U.S. Office of Special Counsel for 14 days. The 2-1 appeals court decision ruled that allowing the administration to appeal the temporary order before a full trial court ruling would be a sharp departure from normal procedures. The dissenting judge argued that blocking the president from firing an agency head is virtually unheard of.
2025