• President Trump has fired NRC Commissioner Christopher T. Hanson without cause.
• The removal raises concerns about the independence of regulatory agencies.
• Hanson labeled the firing illegal, contradicting longstanding agency removal precedents.
• This move is part of Trump's broader strategy to exert control over independent agencies.
• Safety advocates criticize the decision amidst fears for nuclear safety standards.

President Trump has officially terminated Christopher T. Hanson, a Democratic commissioner of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC), effective immediately. The dismissal, communicated in an email from the White House, has been characterized by Hanson as illegal and a violation of longstanding protocols regarding independent agency appointees, which he claimed should not be removed without substantial cause, according to NPR and The Hill.

The White House defended the move, with spokesperson Anna Kelly stating, "all organizations are more effective when leaders are rowing in the same direction." This aligns with Trump's broader strategy to exert control over independent regulatory agencies, which have traditionally operated without direct presidential interference, as highlighted by Le Monde and Los Angeles Times.

Hanson had previously been appointed by Trump himself in 2020 and later served as chair under President Biden until January 2021. His ousting has left the NRC with an equal number of Democrats and Republicans, which complicates its operational dynamics. Lawmakers, including New Jersey Representative Frank Pallone, have criticized the action as an illegal power grab that threatens the regulatory independence essential to the NRC's mission to ensure public safety, according to Los Angeles Times and The Hill.

Experts have warned that this dismissal could destabilize the governance of nuclear safety in the U.S., particularly as Trump has sought to implement executive orders designed to increase the production of nuclear power over the next 25 years. Edwin Lyman from the Union of Concerned Scientists expressed concerns that such moves undermine the agency's capacity to make unbiased safety determinations, fearing it might impact public health and safety across the nation, according to NPR and Los Angeles Times.