(Ben Sellers, Headline USA) A federal agency that is supposed to be bipartisan appears to have gone rogue and declared itself outside the law, refusing to recognize changes to its leadership made by President Donald Trump.
The U.S. Commission on Civil Rights includes eight members, four of whom are appointed by the president, two by the president pro tempore of the Senate, and two by the speaker of the House.
Another stipulation of the 1957 law that established the commission is that no more than four members can belong to the same political party. It also states that the president designates the chairperson and vice chairperson, but that it must be done in concurrence with a majority of the commissioners.
Former chairwoman Rochelle Garza and vice chairwoman Victoria Nourse, both Democrat appointees of the Biden administration, have refused, however, to recognizes Trump’s appointments, insisting that the full commission must agree while forestalling any opportunity for a vote.
Even though Trump de-designated Garza as chair in one of his first acts upon returning office, she has openly flouted his authority as duly elected president, while attempting to install radical ideologues on the commission’s administrative staff who would create additional hurdles to Trump’s civil rights agenda, the Daily Signal reported.
If you're ready to fight for equity in education, we’re recruiting.
Visit the link below for more information on becoming an Advisory Committee Member.https://t.co/QX6V1CzjU7
— Rochelle Garza (@RochelleMGarza) May 23, 2025
Ironically, Garza has declared herself the last bastion of civil rights while blocking the procedures that would allow others to assume the position.
I have every intention to keep fighting to protect and advance our civil rights, no matter what challenges are thrown my way.
— Rochelle Garza (@RochelleMGarza) July 1, 2025
After Trump announced his intended replacements — elevating commissioner Peter Kirsanow to the chair, Stephen Gilchrist to vice chair and appointing Kirsanow’s assistant, Carissa Mulder, as staff director — Garza canceled the meeting at which the commission was supposed to vote on the changes.
At a recent meeting, Gilchrist and fellow commissioner J. Christian Adams sought to hand-deliver a presidential proclamation from the White House, eliminating all doubt as to what the president’s intentions were. But the Democrat members questioned the authenticity of the document and quickly went into recess, leaving the committee without a quorum to continue.
The US Commission on Civil Rights has ignored Trump's appointments, so a Republican member just whipped out a physical scroll from Trump with the demand to replace the staff director. Dem Mondaire Jones then claimed it might be a counterfeit scroll, and the meeting broke down. pic.twitter.com/BKaw6kwk7m
— Luke Rosiak (@lukerosiak) April 24, 2026
“This is a case of Garza simply ignoring the president’s designation of staff director and not allowing a vote,” Adams said in an email to Bloomberg Law. “I have asked her repeatedly to put it on the agenda before meetings.”
Although the commission functions only in an advisory capacity, its work is particularly relevant to efforts by the Trump administration to close election loopholes through measures like the SAVE Act and a repeal of birthright citizenship.
Its reports have the ability to influence congressional oversight hearings and appropriations, as well as to influence policies of other federal agencies under the executive wing.
Moreover, the usurpation of Trump’s authority plays into an ongoing problem of deep-state bureaucrats supplanting the will of voters with their own judgment.
Disloyal staffers contributed to regulatory chaos and leaks during Trump’s first administration, paving the way to corrupt, Democrat-led investigations like the Russia-gate hoax and Ukraine impeachment attempt that largely derailed his agenda.
Among the Democrat-appointed commissioners to the USCCR is former Rep. Mondaire Jones, D-N.Y., a former “Squad” member who is known for his radical views and bombastic rhetoric.
While Trump does have statutory authority to change the leadership of the commission, he only has the ability to fire its members for cause due to inefficiency, neglect of duty or malfeasance in office.
The Supreme Court currently has under its consideration a separate cases related to Trump’s effort to fire Federal Trade Commissioner Rebecca Slaughter and Federal Reserve board member Lisa Cook.
He fired Cook after she refused to resign under serious investigation of mortgage fraud. However, her radical views also were at odds with Trump’s view that the Fed should cut interest rates to help stimulate the economy — a move it had resisted doing even as the inflation of the Biden administration fell back within accepted levels.
The Justice Department recently dropped a criminal investigation into Fed chair Jerome Powell, another NeverTrumpist, amid questions over whether he mismanaged funds related to the construction of a new Federal Reserve building.
Ben Sellers is a freelance writer and former editor of Headline USA. Follow him at x.com/realbensellers.
