Attorneys Brian Kabateck and Shant Karnikian break down the federal court victory blocking Trump’s illegal firing of Federal Reserve Governor Lisa Cook, the first Black woman ever appointed to the Fed Board. They explain how Trump violated the Federal Reserve Act by firing Cook over unproven pre-appointment mortgage fraud allegations—conduct that doesn’t meet the “for cause” standard requiring misconduct while in office. The hosts expose Trump’s real motivation: controlling interest rates for political gain ahead of midterms, with Cook as a test case before targeting Fed Chair Jerome Powell. Kabateck reveals how the court cited Justice Brett Kavanaugh’s own 2009 law review article defending Fed independence from “direct presidential oversight.” With the Trump administration appealing despite the court finding “irreparable harm” to Fed independence, this case represents a crucial separation of powers battle.