President Donald Trump has removed all three Democratic members from the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), according to a White House official. The move signals Trump’s belief that the president has the authority to control even independent agencies—an idea that’s already sparking legal backlash.
The CPSC is the federal watchdog that protects Americans from dangerous products. It investigates safety risks, sets rules for manufacturers, and orders recalls. With three out of five seats now vacant, the agency’s leadership has been gutted.
The fired commissioners—Richard Trumka Jr., Mary Boyle, and Alexander Hoehn-Saric—were all appointed by President Joe Biden and confirmed by the Senate. Trumka and Boyle were sent official termination notices. Hoehn-Saric, the panel’s chairman, never received one—but sources told reporters that he and his staff were locked out of the CPSC building.
The firings followed a visit from the Department of Government Efficiency to the agency’s Maryland office on Thursday, according to The Washington Post. All three Democrats have said they intend to fight the decision in court.
This isn’t the first time Trump has tried to remove independent regulators. Two Federal Trade Commission members he fired earlier this year have already sued him, citing a 90-year-old Supreme Court precedent that protects leaders of independent agencies from being fired without cause.
Consumer Reports slammed the firings. “This is an appalling and lawless attack on the independence of our country’s product safety watchdog,” said William Wallace, director of safety advocacy. “Anyone who cares about keeping their family safe should oppose this move and demand that it be reversed.”
He added: “For more than five decades, members of Congress from both parties have supported the role of an independent, bipartisan CPSC. Today’s Congress must step up to defend the agency, reject this power grab, and reaffirm that our laws actually mean what they say on the page.”
