Can the U.S. President Dismiss the Secretary of State?

The American president can dismiss the secretary of state without recourse from the Supreme Court or Congress. Article II, Section 2, Clause 2 of the Constitution authorizes presidents to appoint Cabinet-level officers, including the secretary of state. Congress questioned the power of presidents to remove Cabinet members in 1867, but has since allowed them this prerogative.

Article II, Section 2, contains the Appointments Clause of the Constitution. This section gives the president the task of choosing high-ranking federal officers. These positions include the secretaries of the various Cabinet departments. Presidents and legal scholars traditionally considered the power to fire a corollary of the power to hire.

The Appointments Clause requires presidents to seek the advice and consent of the Senate on the suitability of nominees for Cabinet jobs. After a president announces a nomination, the Senate meets to decide whether to confirm the decision. In 1867, Congress passed the Tenure of Office Act to force presidents to also receive Senate consent before removing high-ranking federal officers. At the time, congressional Republicans feared that Democratic President Andrew Johnson would replace the Cabinet chosen by Republican Abraham Lincoln, his assassinated predecessor. Congress rescinded this law in 1887.