WASHINGTON — The U.S. Supreme Court’s conservative justices appear ready to endorse President Donald Trump’s power to fire a regulatory agency official despite job protections given by Congress. But they have signaled reluctance to give him similar authority over the Federal Reserve in a major case set to be argued next month.

The court, which has a 6-3 conservative majority, in May cited what it called the central bank’s unique qualities that distinguish it from other agencies also created by Congress to be independent of direct presidential control. But Trump nevertheless moved to fire Federal Reserve Governor Lisa Cook in August, setting in motion a major legal battle over presidential powers that imperils the Fed’s longstanding independence.

Trump’s targeting of Cook represents one o

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