Court blocks Trump from firing top copyright official over AI report

A federal appeals court has blocked the Trump administration from firing the US’ top copyright official, ruling that President Trump lacks the authority to remove Shira Perlmutter from her position as register of copyrights. The DC Circuit Court of Appeals determined that Perlmutter, who was allegedly fired for preparing an AI report Trump disagreed with, works for the legislative branch and can only be dismissed by the Senate-confirmed Librarian of Congress.

What you should know: The 2-1 court decision represents a significant check on presidential power over legislative branch officials.

• Shira Perlmutter was appointed register of copyrights in 2020 by the Librarian of Congress and was fired by Trump in May 2025 after preparing a congressional report on artificial intelligence usage.
• Trump replaced her by installing Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche as acting Librarian of Congress, then appointing Justice Department official Paul Perkins to Perlmutter’s role.
• The court ruled that both moves were likely unlawful since Blanche hasn’t been confirmed by the Senate.

Why this matters: The case tests the boundaries of executive power and separation of powers in an era of expanding presidential authority.

• Judge Florence Pan wrote that Trump’s “alleged blatant interference with the work of a Legislative Branch official” represents a violation “significantly different in kind and in degree from the cases that have come before.”
• The ruling compared the situation to “the President trying to fire a federal judge’s law clerk,” emphasizing the constitutional separation between branches.

The big picture: This decision comes amid multiple legal challenges to Trump’s removal of officials from independent agencies and legislative positions.

• The Supreme Court has repeatedly allowed Trump to remove officials temporarily, though lower courts have delivered mixed decisions often split along party lines.
• The case highlights ongoing tensions between presidential authority and congressional independence in government operations.

What they’re saying: The majority opinion emphasized the constitutional stakes involved in the dispute.

• “The President’s attempt to reach into the Legislative Branch to fire an official that he has no statutory authority to either appoint or remove, and to impede Congress’s ability to carry out an enumerated constitutional duty, presents a ‘genuinely extraordinary situation,’ that threatens irreparable harm to the constitutional structure of our government,” Judge Pan wrote.
• Dissenting Judge Justin Walker, a Trump appointee, argued that the Supreme Court has “recently, repeatedly, and unequivocally” stopped courts from intervening when Trump fires officials.

Key details: The ruling temporarily restores Perlmutter to her position while the legal challenge continues.

• Two Democratic-appointed judges formed the majority, while the Trump-appointed judge dissented.
• Perlmutter sued to regain her position, arguing her firing violated separation of powers principles.
• The register of copyrights serves as Congress’s chief advisor on copyright matters and operates within the legislative branch’s structure.