WASHINGTON (AP) – President-elect Donald Trump on Tuesday nominated Andrew Ferguson to be the next chairman of the Federal Trade Commission.
He replaces Lina Khan, who became a lightning rod for Wall Street and Silicon Valley by blocking multibillion-dollar acquisitions and suing Amazon and Meta alleging anticompetitive practices.
Mr. Ferguson is already one of five commissioners on the FTC, which currently consists of three Democrats and two Republicans.
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“Andrew has a proven track record of standing up to Big Tech censorship and defending free speech in this great country,” Trump wrote on Truth Social, adding, “Andrew is the most America-first, innovation-minded person in the world.” He will become the FTC chairman,” he added. history of this country. ”
Khan’s replacement will likely mean the FTC will operate with a lighter mind when it comes to antitrust enforcement. The new commissioner is expected to appoint new directors for the FTC’s antitrust and consumer protection divisions.
The deal, blocked by the Biden administration, could be given new life under President Trump.
“These changes are likely to make the FTC more favorable to businesses than it has been in recent years, but the extent to which it will be remains to be determined,” Anthony DiResta, a consumer protection attorney at Holland & Knight, wrote in a recent analysis. No,” he said.
The deal, blocked by the Biden administration, could be given new life under President Trump.
For example, the new leadership could be more open to the proposed merger of Kroger and Albertsons, the nation’s two largest supermarket chains, which signed a $24.6 billion merger deal in 2022. On Tuesday night, two judges blocked the merger.
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The FTC filed a lawsuit in federal court earlier this year seeking to block the merger, arguing that it would lead to a loss of competition, higher prices and lower wages for workers. The companies argue that a merger would allow them to lower prices and compete with larger rivals such as Walmart.
One of the judges said the FTC had shown it was likely to prevail in an administrative hearing.
But some experts say the Trump administration may not completely abandon the FTC’s efforts to block the deal, given widespread public concern about soaring food prices.
And the FTC may continue to closely monitor Big Tech companies for anticompetitive behavior. Many Republican politicians have accused companies like Meta of censoring conservative views, and some Trump administration officials, particularly Vice President-elect J.D. Vance, have previously criticized Khan’s He has expressed support for surveillance of Big Tech companies.
In addition to Ferguson, President Trump on Tuesday announced the selection of Jacob Helberg as the next undersecretary of state for economic growth, energy and environment.
