Can the President Fire Who He Wants? The Fight Over Executive Power

Who really controls the executive branch? In this episode of Unwritten Law, hosts Mark Chenoweth and John Vecchione break down a high-stakes legal battle over presidential power—Trump’s firing of Hampton Dellinger as head of the Office of Special Counsel.

The case sparked a fierce debate over whether the president can remove executive officials at will or if statutory “for-cause” protections limit his authority. The team unpacks Judge Amy Berman Jackson’s controversial injunction, the D.C. Circuit’s swift reversal, and why Supreme Court precedent—Seila Law and Collins—made this a clear win for Trump.