Trump's FTC Chair Is Continuing To Push Lina Khan's Antitrust Ideology
On February 26, new Federal Trade Commission (FTC) Chair Andrew Ferguson announced the creation of the Joint Labor Task Force, continuing former Chair Lina Khan's departure from what is known as the consumer welfare standard.
Congress established the FTC in 1914 to prevent unfair competition and deceptive business practices. This has primarily meant "protecting Americans in their role as consumers," according to Ferguson. The FTC enforces the Clayton Antitrust Act, which outlawed price discrimination between customers, exclusive dealing, interlocking directorates, and mergers or acquisitions that "substantially reduce competition."
But Khan was more interested in Americans' role as producers than consumers. In 2022 she signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with the National Labor Relations Board to "protect workers against unfair methods of competition, unfair or deceptive acts or practices, and unfair labor practices," such as restrictive contract provisions. In August 2023, Khan signed a similar MOU with the Department of Labor recognizing both agencies' shared commitment to protecting workers from deceptive earnings claims, restrictive noncompete and nondisclosure contracts, and the "impact of labor market concentration."
Alden Abbott, the FTC's general counsel from 2018–2021, opposed the MOUs. Abbott argued in September 2023 that labor market oversight is "far-removed from the FTC's statutory mandate to focus on combating impediments to competition and consumer protection [and] would reduce the funding available to attack fraudulent and clearly anticompetitive acts."
Khan's FTC went further, attempting to ban noncompete agreements in April 2024, describing them as an unfair method of competition in violation of the FTC Act. Ferguson dissented on legal grounds, arguing that the Commission does not possess the power "to declare categorically unlawful a species of contract that was lawful when the Federal Trade Commission Act was adopted."
Though Ferguson opposed banning noncompetes, he still identifies them as one of 12 anticompetitive labor practices under FTC jurisdiction. Ferguson has directed his new Joint Labor Task Force to "prioritize investigation and prosecution" of such practices and to advocate regulatory and legislative changes that would address them.
Ferguson's endorsement of the 2023 joint merger guidelines, along with his hostility to the tech industry and support for enforcing the anti–price discrimination Robinson-Patman Act, all suggest a continuation of Khan's activist antitrust ideology. The Joint Labor Task Force is yet more evidence.
The post Trump's FTC Chair Is Continuing To Push Lina Khan's Antitrust Ideology appeared first on Reason.com.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
New York Post
34 minutes ago
- New York Post
Trump shows he called Newsom during LA riots as California gov claims there wasn't ‘even a voicemail'
President Donald Trump hit back at Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom's claims that the president did not recently call him, telling Fox News he spoke to the governor for about 16 minutes on Saturday. Trump told Fox News Tuesday while traveling to Fort Bragg, North Carolina, that Newsom did not pick up his first call over the weekend, but that he picked up the second call and the pair spoke for about 16 minutes on Saturday. 'I told him to, essentially, 'Get his ass in gear,' and stop the riots, which were out of control,' Trump said Tuesday. 'More than anything else, this shows what a liar he is – said I never called.' Trump provided a screenshot of the phone call dated June 7 at 1:23 a.m. White House director of communications Steven Cheung added in comment to Fox Digital Tuesday afternoon: 'The President called Gavin Newsom to tell him to get his ass in gear. The Governor has clearly decided to disgustingly side with the violent rioters instead of protecting Californians. The only liar here is Newsom who continues to fail his state as he prioritizes doing interviews with leftist media to gaslight the public instead of helping his state.' 4 US President Donald Trump speaks at Fort Bragg to celebrate the US Army's 250th anniversary at Pike Field at Fort Bragg, North Carolina, USA, 10 June 2025. STAN GILLILAND/EPA-EFE/Shutterstock Earlier Tuesday, Trump held an event addressing wildfire response and prevention from the Oval Office, where he fielded a handful of questions from the media regarding the ongoing anti-ICE riots in Los Angles, telling a reporter he spoke to Newsom 'a day ago.' 'A day ago. I called him up to tell him (he's) got to do a better job. He's done a bad job,' Trump said. In a response post on X, Newsom claimed Trump did not call him or leave a voicemail in the past day. 4 Trump announced Saturday that he was deploying 2,000 National Guard troops to help quell the violence. Toby Canham for NY Post 'There was no call. Not even a voicemail. Americans should be alarmed that a President deploying Marines onto our streets doesn't even know who he's talking to,' Newsom posted to X Tuesday afternoon, accompanied by video of Trump in the Oval Office. 'This call is from 3 days ago,' the governor's press office added on X following the White House's pushback on Newsom's claim that Trump did not call. Newsom's office added in an email to Fox News Digital Tuesday that: 'The Governor's comment is clearly in regards to the President's comment this morning of 'a day ago,'' adding that Newsom had already confirmed his Saturday phone call in a media interview on Sunday. 4 Gov. Gavin Newsom speaks during an address on Tuesday, June 10, 2025. AP Newsom spokesperson Izzy Gardon added in a comment to the Sacramento Bee Tuesday: 'I just personally looked through the governor's phone. No missed call. No voicemail. Nothing. The last time they spoke was Friday when the governor called him.' Los Angeles descended into violent riots Friday when federal immigration officials converged on the city to carry out raids targeting illegal immigrants. Local leaders such as Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass and Newsom, however, quickly denounced the raids in public statements while offering words of support for illegal immigrants in the state. Protests over the raids soon devolved into violence as rioters targeted and launched attacks on federal law enforcement officials. 4 Serious disorder takes place in downtown Los Angeles hundredsof law enforcement are deployed as are National Guard. Toby Canham for NY Post Trump announced Saturday that he was deploying 2,000 National Guard troops to help quell the violence. The Trump administration also deployed hundreds of U.S. Marines to respond to anti-immigration chaos on Monday evening as the violence continued. 'If I didn't 'SEND IN THE TROOPS' to Los Angeles the last three nights, that once beautiful and great City would be burning to the ground right now,' Trump posted to Truth Social on Tuesday morning.
Yahoo
4 hours ago
- Yahoo
Trump Is Officially Spiting Pride Month
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said that President Donald Trump has no intention to officially recognize Pride Month. 'There are no plans for a proclamation for the month of June,' Leavitt said at a White House press briefing Tuesday. 'But I can tell you this president is very proud to be a president for all Americans, regardless of race, religion or creed.' The reporter who asked the question, MAGA podcaster Alec Lace, suggested that the White House could name June 'Nuclear Family Month' rather than honoring LGBTQ Americans. President Bill Clinton first named June 'Gay and Lesbian Pride Month' in 1999 in a tribute to the Stonewall riots of June 1969, which helped launch the gay rights movement. Pride Month was expanded to include bisexual and transgender Americans under President Barack Obama. Trump declined to officially proclaim June Pride Month during his first presidency—although in 2019, he tweeted in support of Pride Month. 'As we celebrate LGBT Pride Month and recognize the outstanding contributions LGBT people have made to our great Nation, let us also stand in solidarity with the many LGBT people who live in dozens of countries worldwide that punish, imprison, or even execute individuals on the basis of their sexual orientation,' Trump said. 'My Administration has launched a global campaign to decriminalize homosexuality and invite all nations to join us in this effort!' However, since returning to office, Trump has made what he calls 'gender ideology' among his top priorities. Trump has eradicated DEI programs from the federal government, sought to prevent trans women from competing in women's sports and also to eliminate trans people from the military. Many corporations and brands are planning to scale back their celebrations of Pride Month in this new political climate, according to CNN. Nevertheless, many LGBTQ Americans are still boisterously celebrating June. Pride Month events in Washington, D.C.—including a parade and a street festival—are expected to draw hundreds of thousands of attendees, according to ABC News.
Yahoo
4 hours ago
- Yahoo
'Un-American' or 'necessary'? Voters divided on Trump's LA protest crackdown
US President Donald Trump has sent thousands of National Guard troops and hundreds of US Marines to Los Angeles as protests take place against the administration's ramped-up immigration enforcement. While the president's allies cheer him on, both the governor of California and the mayor of Los Angeles say Trump is overstepping his authority and stoking tensions. Everyday Americans are no less divided over the issue. But do they feel it is the president or the protesters who have gone too far? Here's what six voters had to say about the news. This Indiana man worries about the precedent Trump is setting by sending the National Guard into Los Angeles. I've seen some different takes on the legality of it, but it feels to me like the federal government is being very, very heavy-handed on this, which is concerning to me since protest is a protected form of expression in this country. I'm concerned that this sets Americans against Americans, and specifically American military against American citizens. The Trump administration is going about [the ICE raids] in an interesting manner... While making unilateral raids like these, they're making a lot of mistakes and those mistakes are costing people their freedoms. [The Trump administration] is not admitting to their mistakes and they're not following due process. We have laws in this country for a reason. This Mexico-born Texas resident - a naturalised US citizen - supports the deployment of troops to put down "shameful" protests in California. It's a shame that people who have come to this country to set themselves up are doing this, the riots. I tend to think that many of the rioters are people with criminal histories. Violent protesters. People that want to be here to create a future and have a family in this generous country would not be doing that. Many are even waving Mexican flags. That's so shameful. I respect the president in so many ways. He is a guy who knows how to get things done. He's the law-and-order president. What was he supposed to do? Let them burn trash? Let them destroy Los Angeles?When I saw they called on the National Guard, I just started crying because he's weaponising everything he possibly can. There's no free speech, there's no dissent - it's Hitler's playbook all over again. It's heartbreaking, really. I just feel for the people he's targeting. It's wrong, it's so un-American. It's so against what this country was founded for. I'm just shocked. I probably shouldn't be, but I just can't believe it's happening. I can't believe the military and the National Guard are supporting this. How protests erupted after rumours of immigration raid Analysis: This is a political fight Trump is eager to have This Indiana man wants the violence to stop, but also worries about what deploying the military in response to protests means for the future. This goes far beyond just protest, in my view. This is an attack on our sovereignty and our civil society. We can debate immigration policy, but violence and chaos should not be tolerated. [But Trump is] the one who's going to push the envelope to the legal limit, and if he can get by with more, he will, I think. That's one of my concerns about this whole thing. I'm not 100% on board with it, but at the same time, I think something has to be done. It's not getting taken care of. My trepidation is about precedent...I feel like everything we do, when we set new precedents, it will become new norms and not the exception. This Nebraska woman says she's likely to get involved with protests happening in her town because she's upset with what she sees Trump doing in LA. When watching clips, I saw some mostly peaceful protests. It seems like Trump is just mad that they're happening, rather than trying to prevent them from being violent. More and more, he's become a president who uses his power to enforce his will [rather] than the will of the people. I wonder to what extent is he going to keep doing this. It's extremely valid that people are protesting ICE, because in all honesty there is very little proof of due process for people who have been taken by ICE and wrongfully detained. A 29-year veteran of the US Army who retired as a colonel, this Texan - from the overwhelmingly Latino Rio Grande City on the border - believes that it is the protests that have gone too far. When state and local governments fail to support federal law - in this case deportation orders - the military deployment is necessary to protect lives, property and the movement of commerce. The protesters are blocking major highways, disrupting commerce, destroying and burning police cars, and interfering with police orders to disperse in certain areas. Everyone has the right to protest, but you don't have the right to make me or others listen to you. Creating violence so I can have your attention comes with consequences. Everything we know about the demonstrations Trump's deportation drive is perfect storm in city of immigrants LA's chaotic weekend of protests in maps and pictures
