How Trump Allies Are Circumventing the Supreme Court to Seize Control of the Fed
(SeaPRwire) – By: Gavin Thorne
The Supreme Court’s narrow ruling on Lisa Cook wasn’t a win for Fed independence—it was a temporary pause in a full-scale assault on the central bank’s autonomy. Trump allies have already mapped a procedural workaround to oust her, using the court’s own logic against the guardrails meant to keep politics out of monetary policy. This isn’t just about one governor; it’s a coordinated push to stack the Fed with picks who will toe the administration’s economic line, even if it means ignoring decades of central bank precedent. That’s the unvarnished reality of the behind-the-scenes maneuvering right now.
Trump first tried to fire Cook last August, citing unproven mortgage fraud allegations she denies. The Supreme Court blocked the removal on procedural grounds, saying Trump failed to give her a chance to dispute the claims. The court didn’t rule on whether the allegations themselves would justify ousting her, leaving the door open for another attempt. White House officials have already signaled they’ll restart the removal process with proper formalities this week.
There’s also a targeted campaign against Jerome Powell, who stayed on the Fed board after his chair tenure expired. Trump is furious, especially after Powell accepted a Profile in Courage Award and praised congressional protections for Fed independence. The administration is probing a $2.5 billion Fed headquarters renovation, with a pending inspector general report that could give them a lever to push Powell out. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent is already vetting candidates for the open Atlanta Fed presidency.
The Atlanta Fed role is more than just a background position. The president of the regional bank will vote on interest rate decisions in 2027, and the administration sees it as a key way to exert influence over monetary policy. The Atlanta Fed’s search process was nearly complete back in May, and Bessent’s team is closely monitoring the selection to push for a candidate aligned with Trump’s economic views. Even as inflationary pressures make rate cuts less likely this year, the push to stack the Fed continues.
White House spokesman Kush Desai has pushed back on the reports, saying officials have full confidence in Fed Chair Kevin Warsh. But the administration’s public statements don’t match the private efforts to reshape the central bank. Trump has repeatedly berated Powell for not cutting rates fast enough, and his team is already looking for any opening to remove Warsh’s potential rivals from the board. Even the narrow Supreme Court ruling hasn’t slowed their momentum one bit.
Behind every public statement and procedural tweak, the core goal is clear: to turn the Fed into a tool of the administration’s economic agenda. Regional banks, sitting governors, even pending investigations—every angle is being exploited to clear the way for loyalist picks. There’s no pretense left of respecting the Fed’s historical independence anymore.
The next six months will see a full-scale political takeover of the Federal Reserve’s governing structure.
Author bio: Gavin Thorne, an investigative journalist based in Washington, D.C., tracking special interests and legislative affairs for national political outlets.