The Courts and Congress are making Trump more powerful

Here’s a breakdown of how the U.S. Supreme Court and Congress have empowered President Trump, with notes on whether each measure overturned or reversed federal court rulings:

SUPREME COURT (Rulings Increasing Trump’s Power)

1. Presidential Immunity – Trump v. United States (June 27, 2024)
   Held that a sitting president has absolute immunity for core constitutional acts and presumptive immunity for other official actions—significantly insulating Trump from prosecution.
   → Yes, effectively overturns lower-court perspectives that prosecutors could pursue him even for official acts.

2. Travel Ban Deference – Trump v. Hawaii (June 26, 2018)
   Upheld Trump’s travel ban, emphasizing judicial deference to executive national-security decisions, vacating nationwide injunctions against enforcement.
   → Yes, reversed lower-court injunctions and reinstated executive action.

3. Immigration Enforcement via Shadow Docket (Sept 8, 2025)
   Supreme Court lifted a lower-court injunction against ICE raids in Los Angeles that targeted individuals based on race, language, or employment; effectively green-lit broader immigration enforcement.
   
   → Yes, overturned the injunction issued by Judge Frimpong.

4. FTC Commissioner Removal (Sept 8, 2025)
   Stayed a lower-court ruling that blocked Trump’s removal of Democratic FTC Commissioner Rebecca Slaughter, permitting her firing while litigation continues.
   
   → Yes, temporarily reversed the lower court’s protective order.

5. Limits on Nationwide Injunctions – Trump v. CASA (2025)
   Restricted the scope of broader injunctions: lower courts cannot impose universal (nationwide) bans against executive actions unless tailored to specific plaintiffs.
   
   → Yes, curbed lower-court broad remedies, reshaping legal oversight of executive orders.

6. State Power Restriction – Trump v. Anderson (March 4, 2024)
   Unanimously ruled that states lack authority to disqualify federal candidates under Section 3 of the Fourteenth Amendment—that power lies solely with Congress.
   
   → Yes, overturned state-level decisions (like in Colorado) attempting to block Trump from the ballot.
   
   

CONGRESS (Legislative/Infrastructural Moves Increasing Trump’s Power)

1. “One Big Beautiful Bill” Act (July 4, 2025)
   Massive reconciliation package signed into law, delivering historic tax cuts (especially for the wealthy), border security measures, welfare reform, infrastructure funding, and debt-limit adjustments.
   
   → Not a court overturn; a legislative act enhancing Trump’s policy agenda and political clout.

2. Bills to Abolish Agencies / Fire Employees Unilaterally (Mar 2025)
   House Republicans advanced legislation that would allow Trump to dismantle federal agencies and dismiss federal employees without congressional oversight.
   
   → Not court-related; a legislative push expanding executive authority.

3. Reassertion of Executive Control Over Independent Agencies (2025 Executive Order)
   
   Though not directly enacted by Congress, this effort relies on legal latitude; but it builds upon congressional statutes regarding executive supervision—intensifying control over agencies like the SEC, FCC, FTC, NLRB, and CFPB.
   
   → Not overturning court rulings, but operating within (and stretching) legislatively granted authority.
   
   

Summary Table