President-elect Donald Trump has tapped Andrew Ferguson to serve as chair of the Federal Trade Commission. Ferguson currently serves as a commissioner for the antitrust agency. According to his biography, he once clerked for Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas.
“Andrew has a proven record of standing up to Big Tech censorship and protecting Freedom of Speech in our Great Country,” Trump said in a Tuesday statement posted to his Truth Social network. “Andrew will be the most America First and pro-innovation FTC Chair in our Country’s History.”
In a statement following the announcement, Ferguson said he was honored to be chosen to lead the agency.
“At the FTC, we will end Big Tech’s vendetta against competition and free speech. We will make sure that America is the world’s technological leader and the best place for innovators to bring new ideas to life,” he said in a post on X.
Thank you President Trump. Under your leadership, American businesses will become stronger and more competitive, and will better serve workers and consumers, than ever before. I’m honored that you’ve chosen me to be FTC Chairman in your mission to make our country great again.… pic.twitter.com/GxmYWfjpqm
— Andrew Ferguson (@AFergusonFTC) December 11, 2024
Ferguson serves as one of the two Republican commissioners on the five-member panel led by Lina Khan. Ferguson, previously the solicitor general of Virginia, was appointed to the commission by President Biden and officially joined the FTC on April 2.
The future of FTC under Trump
The Federal Trade Commission is responsible for the enforcement of antitrust and consumer protection laws. Khan’s replacement is expected to mean that the FTC will be less stringent in its antitrust enforcement. The new chairman is expected to designate new directors for the FTC’s antitrust and consumer protection divisions.
Khan became a lightning rod for Wall Street and Silicon Valley by suing Amazon and Meta and blocking billions of dollars worth of corporate acquisitions, all while alleging anticompetitive behavior.
The FTC barred a proposed merger between Korger and Albertsons, two major supermarket chains that executed a $24.6 billion agreement in 2022 during Khan’s tenure.
On Tuesday, a judge put the brakes on the merger following a lawsuit from the FTC aimed at preventing the deal, arguing it would result in elevated prices and lowered wages for employees.
Donald Trump is on a streak to ensure that no money will leave American Markets, from taxes to tariffs. The mistakes Khan made with the American economy will not be repeated during his tenure.
Today, Trump has welcomed billionaire investors to America. On Truth Social, he posted that “Any person or company investing ONE BILLION DOLLARS, OR MORE, in the United States of America, will receive fully expedited approvals and permits, including, but in no way limited to, all Environmental approvals. GET READY TO ROCK!!!”
To that, Elon Musk said, “This is awesome.”
Lina Khan, the current leader of the FTC, has managed billions of dollars in dismissed corporate acquisitions, provoking the displeasure of Wall Street.
Trump focuses on trade in his MAGA agenda
Ferguson’s experience could lead to more scrutiny of huge tech corporations. In a statement earlier this month, he urged for the prosecution of “unlawful collision” between web platforms that might hinder “Americans’ ability to exchange ideas freely and openly.”
Trump’s reelection has sparked concerns about how his administration will handle ongoing antitrust cases against internet giants such as Apple and Amazon. Google is also awaiting a ruling on whether a federal judge would accept the US government’s suggestion that it be forced to sell Chrome after its search operation was ruled a monopoly.
The new administration may also decide to dismiss any ongoing FTC investigations.
Last week on X, Ferguson praised Trump’s selection of Gail Slater to head the Justice Department’s antitrust division, noting that Trump highlighted her commitment to pursuing legal action against major tech platforms for purported competition violations.
While Trump was expected to replace Khan, certain Republicans, including those tapped to join the Trump administration, have been dubbed “Khanservatives” because they advocate for stricter, not weaker, antitrust enforcement.
In February, Vice President-elect JD Vance said that Khan is “one of the few people in the Biden administration who I think is doing a pretty good job.”
Deep into trade, Trump also said he is selecting Mark Meador as his pick to be an FTC commissioner.
“Mark has also worked as an antitrust enforcer at both the Federal Trade Commission and the Department of Justice Antitrust Division, and in private practice at Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison LLP,” Trump said in the post.
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